St John council passes first reading to annex 168 acres to support future water supply planning

The St John Town Council on July 9 passed on first reading Ordinance 18-70, approving annexation of 168 acres of noncontiguous territory to support long-term water planning. Town Manager Billy Manasopoulos said the annexation follows test wells on the property that produced encouraging data and that the property owner, RBCP Investments, has agreed to the annexation.

Town Manager Billy Manasopoulos said the acreage is located along the state line "between A Hundred 20 Fifth and a Hundred And 30 Third" and that the town had previously reviewed trace analyses on the southern part of town. "They did some test wells and showed some promising numbers," Manasopoulos said, adding that the annexation will aid the town’s long-term plans for providing water as the town grows. He said a public hearing is anticipated in about 60 days.

The ordinance is described in the meeting as an annexation under Indiana Code 36-4-3-4(a). The council voted 3 to 0 to approve the ordinance on first reading; the record shows the motion carried without named roll-call votes. The ordinance will return for further proceedings, including the upcoming public hearing.

Details recorded in the meeting: the parcel owner is RBCP Investments; the area cited is 168 acres; a public hearing was estimated at about 60 days from the meeting date. No public comment on the annexation was recorded at the meeting.