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La Porte County board orders halt to Scipio Sunrise work, directs attorney to demand homeowner stop pumping into detention basin
Summary
Contractor says one Scipio Sunrise detention basin could not be finished because a homeowner was pumping well water into the basin; the board voted to stop the contractor's work for now, have the county attorney send a cease-and-desist/certified letter requiring the well be capped within two weeks, and to review contractor claims at a later meeting.
A La Porte County Drainage Board emergency action halted further work at a Scipio Sunrise subdivision detention basin and directed the county attorney to send a certified cease-and-desist requiring a homeowner to stop pumping well water into the basin.
Contractor Alan, of Alan Excavating, told the board that crews had completed three of four basins but were unable to finish the fourth because a homeowner had opened a well and was pumping water into what the board described as a detention (not retention) basin. Alan said the team had worked in saturated conditions, had men in hip boots cutting trees and dragging debris, and that the job had exceeded a $20,000 not-to-exceed figure; he told the board he had over $26,000 in charges to date and asked how the board wished to proceed.
Board members said the first priority was stopping the pumping. The board voted to have the county attorney send a certified cease-and-desist letter giving the homeowner a two-week deadline to cap the well and stop pumping, and to notify the homeowner that restarting pumping could prompt legal action. The motion passed by voice vote.
Separately the board voted to consider Alan's work on the project "complete for now," to have him stop active work at the site, and to notify the homeowners' association about why work was paused. The board also asked staff to examine site plans and try to locate a secondary overflow tile while the contractor's equipment was still on site; if found, staff should unplug it to relieve flooding.
Alan told the board he could return with a firm price once conditions allow but warned that substantial additional cost would be required if water remained in the basin. The board instructed staff to review the contractor's invoice and schedule the item for follow-up at a future meeting.
The board's action does not itself resolve payment for the extra work; members said they would review the claim and contractor documentation before making a final payment decision. The board also directed that, if the contractor returns to complete work, the association be notified and given an opportunity to address the homeowner pumping the well.
The board set no immediate new timeline for completing the basin beyond the enforcement deadline for the pumping; it said it would revisit the contractor's bill and any necessary repairs at a later meeting.
