Council debates storm-water fee waiver for Spring Lake Village; minutes omit clear outcome

Pandora Village Council on March 25 heard a request from Greg Amstutz, owner of Spring Lake Village, to waive the monthly storm-water service charge for all 37 units in that development.

Council members said runoff from the Spring Lake property flows into the lake rather than into the village storm-water system, and noted other multi-unit properties in the village also lack direct access to village storm infrastructure. Council referenced the existing storm-water fee ordinance, which the minutes quote as applying “to any water/sewer user and multi-unit properties.”

Councilman Paul Burkholder moved, Ms. Dettrow seconded, to suspend the storm-water charge for Spring Lake Village and to issue retroactive refunds. The minutes record roll-call votes as follows: Burkholder—Yea; Eisenbach—Nay; Dettrow—Nay; Gray—Nay. The record does not show Council President Rick Fricke’s recorded vote or explicitly state whether the motion carried, and no formal outcome language (such as “motion carried” or an approved tally) is included in the minutes.

Solicitor Scott Basinger and councilors discussed the ordinance language and whether the code should be amended to carve out properties that do not discharge into the village system, but the minutes show no final directive to staff beyond the vote record noted above.

The village did not announce a timetable for any ordinance amendment or for issuance of refunds; the minutes say only that council discussed the matter and recorded the votes. The agenda packet and the solicitor’s draft, if and when prepared, will clarify any follow-up actions and the legal basis for refunds.