October Issue of the WRite Stuff – Mayor Joe’s Article
Whenever you try to implement change or make improvements, even the best laid plans are subject to
problems. It should come as no secret, that the City of Whiting has encountered our share of
unanticipated problems along the way. So this month I need to stand up and take the heat for a few
issues that didn’t go as planned and we are working aggressively to resolve.
First, several of our city’s homes experienced sewer back-ups during the hard rain storm that occurred
on September 18th. It is commonplace for some properties to experience seepage during heavy storms,
but extremely rare for properties to experience sewage back-up unless there is a specific localized
problem (tree roots, etc.). In an effort to automate the technology of our Sewage Detention Facility,
the Sanitary District has invested over $2 million over the past three years by installing new modern
equipment. The final phase of this upgrade is to replace all of our storm water pumps which relieve
the sewer system during storm events. On September 18th, one of these new storm pumps had been
recently installed, but was not yet fully operational when the storm hit. The storm, which dumped
almost 1.5” of rain in less than an hour, was more than the three functioning pumps could handle
resulting in the back-ups. I sincerely apologize for the incredible inconvenience that this has been for
the affected home owners and try to comfort you by saying that when the new pumps are all installed
that our reliability will be at all-time highs.
Next I’d like to cover another project that has experienced some minor glitches. We are nearly
finished installing new radio read water meters for every water customer in the city. When the system
is working properly, every water meter can be read instantaneously from City Hall. The new system
will eliminate our meter reading expenses and provide timely readings to ensure bills are accurately
calculated each month. Unfortunately, we are still experiencing problems with approximately 70 of
the 1600 meters installed in the city. We are working to add additional receivers to improve our radio
coverage and reinstall some of the residential transponders to improve the connectivity to the system. I
kindly ask that you be patient as we work through these problems and cooperate with the Water
Department as they try to get your meter working properly.
Another issue that we are facing is the reconstruction of Indianapolis Boulevard. The project is still on
track to start in early 2014, but since it will cost the City of Whiting approximately $3 million to fund
our portion of the project, we will need to borrow the money to make it happen. Compounding the
issue, all Whiting projects that are above the $2 million dollar threshold are considered a “Controlled
Project” by the state. All “Controlled Projects” must follow a more detailed public process to allow
remonstrance or objections, which adds additional time to the financing process. As always, I will do
my best to provide additional information and details regarding the project as we proceed through the
process.
Lastly, contrary to popular believe, I still love my neighboring Mayor in Hammond! We both run
businesses and must make countless business decisions each day. We each do what we feel is in the
best interest of our respective communities, and sometimes issues cannot be resolved with a simple
conversation. But despite our friendship, I am charged with protecting the interests of my residents.
I’m confident that at the end of the day that we will both shake hands and move on to the next project.
Till next month…Mayor Joe
Mayor Joe can be reached (sometimes) via email at jstahura@whitingindiana.com.