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LaPorte County drainage board asks attorney to draft fee plan for drain‑crossing applications
Summary
Board members directed legal counsel to research and draft a formal application fee and process for drain‑crossing approvals to help recover costs when a licensed surveyor must be hired and to strengthen enforcement for unpermitted work.
The LaPorte County Drainage Board voted April 14 to ask the board attorney to research and prepare a draft process and fee schedule for drain‑crossing applications, aiming to recoup outside survey costs and improve enforcement for unpermitted work.
Board members said the county’s elected surveyor is not licensed for some required tasks and the board has repeatedly paid outside licensed surveyors to review crossings. Members urged the attorney to compare peer schedules (the board referenced an MS4 schedule adopted about three years ago), compile historical costs, and propose a fee the board can justify at a public hearing next month.
The board discussed enforcement language for the proposed fee, including a provision to levy a higher penalty when work proceeds without approval. Members said the fee is intended to encourage compliance and cover costs, not to be punitive. No final fee amount was adopted; one board participant suggested $250 as a starting reference during discussion but the board did not set an amount.
The motion directed legal counsel to prepare proposed language and bring the item back for a public hearing at the next regular meeting. The motion carried unanimously.
Board members said the attorney’s research should include a rationale that will remain valid if the county later fills the surveyor role with a licensed official and should align where appropriate with fees used by similar local boards.
