Stop Work Order Issued at 36 th and Mill After Builders Bypass Erosion Measures

On Monday night, the Jasper Stormwater Department presented its report to the board, with a particular focus on compliance. 

A site inspection at 36 th and Mill (where duplexes are under construction) found the location out of compliance, revealing that construction had begun without the required retention basin. Stormwater Coordinator Chad Mundy said that developers were aware that erosion control measures were both needed and required, but chose to allow building to progress without first installing the basin. A violation and fine were issued, as was a stop work order. Mundy said that he will be overseeing their progress to be sure that the erosion requirements are in place. 

There were five items on the IDEM monthly summary report of construction projects in progress. Jasper High School will be adding onto the north side of the building, and that permit has been issued. The lane will be classrooms, and the bank will be the roadway, so there will be significant activity. The inspection and report are planned for sometime in the next week. Brookstone Estates VII will be adding some residential units on the west side. Cathy Lane Stockpile is a transition site for other construction sites and will not result in much additional activity. Park Place is winding down its activity, and North Ridge Estates has some buildings going up. Multiple projects are also listed as upcoming. 

The board reviewed permit requests for both January and February, as there was no meeting in February due to lack of a quorum. There were two building permits for January, with 4 ERUs (Equivalent Residential Units). These were for CHRK Rentals and were related to the duplexes being built at 36 th Street and Mill Street. The ERUs were accepted as presented for January. For February, there were 2 new ERUs and 2 ERUs where ownership was transferred from one company to another. The board accepted the February ERUs as presented. 

In IDEM updates, the annual report is about halfway completed. The department is also in the process of developing a contractor workshop. This annual training will provide ongoing education and will ensure that contractors are familiar with current standards and best practices. 

In other business, the Southwestern Indiana Stormwater Partnership has continued to expand. Mundy said that the open dialogue promotes an easy exchange of information. Public education also continues to be a focus with events like the Home Expo. An upcoming event will be Earth Day on April 22 at Memorial Hospital and is open to the public. City Engineer Chad Hurm also gave the board an overview of a future project at Walmart, which will see the parking lot replaced in sections. 

For more information on these and other updates, visit jasperindiana.gov or JasperGov-Indiana on Facebook.


 - By Drew Hasselbring