Sanitary commissioners approve declaratory resolution to begin sewer-separation bond process

The Board of Sanitary Commissioners on April 30, 2025, voted to approve Resolution 20 25 - O 5, a declaratory resolution that begins the district's statutorily required process to issue debt for projects intended to comply with an IDEM order, the board said at its meeting in Muncie City.

The resolution is the first step in a multi-part financing process: if adopted, the next steps described by legal counsel are publication of public notice, a public hearing, and a future meeting when the board may adopt, modify or decline a confirmatory resolution authorizing bond issuance. "This declaratory resolution is the first step in that process," said Sarah Crow, attorney with Ice Miller. "So should the board decide to adopt this resolution today, our next step would be to publish about the public notice in the newspaper, make sure that everyone knows about it, move on to a public hearing and then, at a meeting in the future, the board could decide, to adopt, modify or decline to adopt a confirmatory resolution."

The board discussed the financial scale during the meeting. A commissioner cited a $282,000,000 total project cost that includes financing fees and ancillary charges and said the district expects to seek about $153,000,000 in debt proceeds as part of that total. Commissioner Overton offered a public clarification that the work being financed is the sewer-separation project "mandated by the Environmental Protection Agency," and legal counsel also tied the projects to an IDEM order. The resolution presented to the board authorizes projects intended to comply with that IDEM order, the attorney said.

Commissioner Clark moved to approve Resolution 20 25 - O 5, saying, "I will move to approve the resolution 20 25 dash o 5 declaratory resolution." The motion received a second and passed on a voice vote called by the chair.

Votes at a glance - Approval of minutes from April 16, 2025: motion and second recorded; passed by voice vote (aye), no recorded roll-call tally in the transcript. - Register of claims: approved. The register presented at the meeting totaled $1,134,715.71 and included a $24,068.80 line for a river cleanup by Coop's Lawn and Landscape; commissioners discussed that cleanup as related to recent flooding within the levee area. Motion and second recorded; passed by voice vote (aye). - Resolution 20 25 - O 5 (declaratory resolution): moved by Commissioner Clark; second recorded; passed by voice vote (aye).

District Administrator Rick Conrad provided background before the resolution discussion, noting recent unanticipated sewer repairs and thanking engineering and plant staff for handling a force-main break in-house. The board also heard that staff stormwater training was rescheduled for the coming Friday and that the Cardinal Greenway and the Ball Brothers Foundation were holding a groundbreaking at the Kintzelman Gateway on East Jackson Street.

The board did not take other substantive actions at the meeting. Counsel described the declaratory resolution as the procedural start to a bond process; the board voted to proceed and will publish notice and schedule a public hearing before any confirmatory action.

The board adjourned after brief additional remarks of appreciation for staff work and occupational-safety documentation.