BY TIM VANDENACK, Truth Staff
tvandenack@etruth.com
GOSHEN -- The Elkhart County Council signed off on the $1.1 million appropriation Saturday to extend water and sewer lines to the new Ivy Tech Community College Campus.
It didn't come without a few questions, though.
Council member C.J. Yoder said if businesses eventually hook into the new lines as well, the county ought to be able to get some sort of reimbursement.
"If we're paying 1.1 million, we should be able to recoup some of that," he said.
County Administrator Tom Byers said such compensation is usually possible.
Because the lines will actually be part of the city of Elkhart's network, though, the county will have to negotiate the terms, though he didn't foresee problems in that regard.
The return may not offset the county's investment, meant to assist Ivy Tech in development of its new $20 million campus at Old C.R. 17 and C.R. 18.
If no new development occurs, the county won't get anything, and even if five or six new buildings sprout that connect into the network, the return may only be $100,000 to $150,000, Byers said.
The council voted unanimously, with Council President John Letherman abstaining.
Letherman, a real estate broker, represented the previous owner of the land where Ivy Tech is building in negotiations to give part of it to the school and sell a portion of it.
Also Saturday, the council earmarked $214,635 in federal grant funds to help with the local swine flu vaccination effort.
Free vaccines will be administered at schools to the county's children, among others, when the vaccine arrives, probably later this month.
"I would like to see the whole county vaccinated," said Daniel Nafziger, the Elkhart County health officer.
Though the vaccine will be free at schools, those getting it from their private physicians may have to pay a fee for the service.