Batesville Utility Service Board members voted April 24 to postpone the surcharge on customer water bills until the Mollenkramer Reservoir dredging project is approved.

In January, Batesville City Council members approved a 45-cent surcharge on each 100 cubic feet of water used for the next five years.

This money would pay for the $950,000 cleanup of that reservoir also known as Coonhunters Reservoir. The dirt would be hauled to the Coonhunters Lodge property.

Superintendent Mike Vonderheide said he has submitted paperwork to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management for a permit to close a 600-foot-long ditch on Coonhunters property. This has to be approved before dredging bids can be sought.

The manager commented, “We feel this project meets all the federal regulations .... We’re right within the boundaries of dry hauling to an adjoining property,” but IDEM officials have 90 days to review the paperwork.

“We are still draining Coonhunters Reservoir .... in anticipation to bid this project and still do the work this year.”

President Sue Siefert asked if “we could stop the surcharge,” which was scheduled to go on the May 1 water bills “until we have more definite plans?”

Vonderheide responded, “If we put this off until 2009 .... I propose we go ahead and collect (the surcharge), and that money can be refunded” if necessary.

Member Henry Pictor emphasized, “If IDEM gives us further roadblocks .... I don’t want us to be collecting money for the project .... and find out in three or four months we have to abandon it.”

Siefert noted, “If we get into the habit of refunding money, we appear to be a bank.”

Pictor continued, “I want to do something with Mollenkramer, .... but don’t want to collect money from the public” until the plans are approved.

Members discussed the repainting of the elevated tank on Pearl Street near downtown. The original estimate was $95,000 to overcoat the existing exterior.

Vonderheide said the engineer now recommends that the tank be completely sandblasted to the bare metal, then re-painted.

This is estimated to cost $335,000.

He revealed, “This year the tank looks fine except for some bare spots upon the top” so this project wouldn’t have to be done in 2008.