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Homeowners ask Burns Harbor to review $11,000 emergency sewer excavation and roadway repair
Summary
Homeowners at 1162 Salt Creek Road reported an emergency excavation that restored sewer flow but left the street cut and the owners out more than $11,000; the board directed staff to collect invoices, photos and contractor contact information and to schedule an on-site inspection before making a decision on cost responsibility.
Homeowners who live at 1162 Salt Creek Road told the Burns Harbor Town Board that contractors excavated the public roadway after multiple attempts to clear a sewer lateral failed, then uncovered a separated connection where a 6-inch service joined an 8-inch fitting. The excavation, which work crews completed the first week of July, restored service but left a 6-by-6-foot cut in the roadway and more than $11,000 in out-of-pocket expenses for the residents.
Why it matters: Town policy and historic permit records are central to whether the town owes any portion of the homeownerscosts. Board members noted a 2003 permit in the file that shows a private contractor and a town inspector signed a connection permit; homeowners and some board members said that the record raises questions about whether the original connection used improper fittings and whether an inspector should have noticed the condition at that time.
What happened: According to the board's discussion, the homeowners first sought help June 23 after standard rodding and camera attempts reached about 88 feet and could not clear the lateral. On July 2, an excavation into the street found the separation in the stub connection close to the main sewer. A contractor reconnected the line, and flow resumed. The homeowners provided photographs and a contractor invoice; they told the board they had paid the contractor roughly $11,000 so far and that the roadway has not been permanently repaved.
Board response and next steps: The board said it could not make a determination the same night. Members asked the homeowners to provide all invoices, before-and-after photos and contractor contact information. Staff (Gina) was asked to open a file and compile documentation; the board requested an on-site review with staff or an engineer (Jeanette and Brandon were cited as likely participants) before any permanent pavement work and before the board considers payment or liability. The chair said the matter will return to the board at a future meeting after those materials and an on-site review are complete.
Context and unsettled questions: Participants debated technical details (camera reach restrictions, the difference between a private tap and the public stub, and whether reducers or other fittings should have been used). The transcript shows the town's sewer permit rules require a permit and an on-site staff presence for certain repairs; the board and residents acknowledged that no town staff member was on site when the initial emergency excavation occurred, and that a permit was not pulled before work began, creating procedural and evidentiary complications.
What to watch for next: The board directed staff to collect the invoices and photos, to contact the contractor who dug the roadway, and to arrange an on-site inspection prior to permanent paving. The board plans to revisit the question of financial responsibility once that packet and an engineer's review are available.
