Beaver Lake Dam project moves forward

The Jasper Utility Service Board agreed to contribute $50,000 to the Beaver Lake spillway reconstruction project.

Originally, $35,000 was discussed but board member Wayne Schuetter explained that when deciding to raise the water rates 17% earlier this year, 2% of that raise was allocated to potentially pay to raise the water level at the lake. Schuetter served as the water commissioner when the Indiana Department of Natural Resources mandated project started and was the utility service board chairman during the project,

Averaged over a year, Schuetter calculated that would account for $45,000 to $50,000 in extra revenue for the water utility. He asked the board to consider allocating up to $50,000 to the project. As the board considered the resolution, though, Utility Manager Bud Hauersperger admitted it would be easier to resolve to give the project $50,000.

The board unanimously approved the amount but not before Dave Hurst admitted he was concerned about the public perception as the utility service board appeared to reverse its recent decision to not fund the project at all.

Schuetter explained that he felt the additional 11 inches of water — about 60 million gallons — was important to the city and those utility rate payers. “I said early on that we need to fix it. I think that because there are more and more entities asking for water out of Patoka Lake that is not coming down through [the river],” he said. “It is being pumped out of the lake with pipelines.”

Schuetter also alluded to the fact that the Beaver Lake property owners and renters are also coming to the table to create a public-private partnership and a lake management plan. “I applaud it because over the last 60 years there hasn’t been a partnership in control of the lake,” he said.

Also, Brian McKenna of Christopher Burke Engineering of Indianapolis reported that his firm had noted a discrepancy in the preliminary engineering report provided to the utility service board during planning for the spillway. Burke explained that the survey indicated an 8-inch difference between state inspection reports completed in 1982.

Resident Brad Popp had reported the discrepancy was indicated in the difference in the reports from 1982 compared to the 2010 survey report completed by Brosmer Surveying under the direction of Christopher Burke Engineering.

According to McKenna, the city was made aware of the difference but the scope of the work was to bring the high hazard dam in compliance with the DNR mandates. The water level was not a factor in the contracted work. He pointed out that adding to the water level was actually detrimental to the DNR mandate to increase the safety of the dam and spillway.

“The discrepancy was noted. We were made aware of it, but it was believed to be because of the erosion in the approach channel,” McKenna said. “Also, we realized it was a survey that was done about 30 years prior [sic] and we didn’t have any background data on that. We just had the numbers in the report. Not where they took benchmarks or any of the other survey details about where that Phase II elevation came from. For that reason, we felt that the Brosmer [Surveying] information was much more reliable, and that is why we used it for the spillway design.”

In directing Brosmer Surveying, McKenna stated the firm decided to take the readings from the concrete spillway since it was the most stable structure in the channel. Additionally, the firm didn’t know the high pool level of the lake due to the survey work being completed while the lake was lowered during the winter.

An important factor in the decision was the fact the lake is a city-owned property. The recreational use is managed by the Park and Recreation Department and the water level is managed by the Utility Service Board. The board and the Beaver Lake renters and property owners agreed the lake should be better managed and marketed to the public for use.

Besides agreeing to contribute $50,000, the board also took the following actions.

-Approved having the water utility borrow $180,000 from the electric utility. This came with a 5% contingency of $16,500. This money would be paid back through lot assessments paid by lot owners — about $163.00 per lot annually. The Jasper Common Council will also have to approve the loan at its meeting Wednesday night.

-Approved hiring Krempp Construction of Jasper for the project at a cost of $334,400. Christopher Burke Engineering was also hired to oversee the project, for an amount not to exceed $37,000.

Before the project moves forward, the common council has to approve the ordinances being prepared by the city’s legal department; the Jasper Park Board has to agree to the terms; and the city needs at least the $125,000 in donations Popp stated the group has in hand for the project. He told the board that the required agreements between the group and the city will be completed once the city has all the approvals to move forward with their contributions. He also stated that he has more collections to be completed to bring the total contribution to the project up to $140,000 from the Friends of Beaver Lake group.

The members of the public seemed satisfied with the outcome of Monday’s meeting as they applauded the board’s actions and statements on several occasions.

Popp pointed out that City Attorney Renee Kabrick had worked diligently to ensure the project would meet the August 28 deadline.

Mayor Terry Seitz admitted at the end of Monday’s meeting that he was enthused to see the public come forward to find a solution. “Effectively the issue we have dealt with tonight was dead last month with the group that had followed this issue from day one,” he said referring to the utility service board. “Through the course of the last month, I don’t know that I have seen as high a level of civic participation from all boards — members of this board, members of the park board, members of the park department, utility staff, certainly Bud [Hauersperger] and Renee [Kabrick] without question.”

According to Seitz, the city proposed a public-private partnership when the Friends of Beaver Lake came forward after the utility service board decided not to fund the work last month. “That has evolved to where we are at tonight,” he said. “I want the public to know we picked up that mantle. We listened. We work very hard. I think we have done an outstanding job to get to this point.”