DYER | The Town Council expects to trim its annexation proposal by nearly a quarter.

The council decided to excise two unincorporated sections on its map and part of a third after meeting informally with St. John and talking to Schererville officials, Dyer Town Manager Joe Neeb said Wednesday night at the third and final public meeting on annexation.

The sections in question are in the northeast, central and south central portions of the map and encompass about 1,000 acres, reducing the total area to roughly 2,990 acres. The council will have to take formal action for the changes to become official.

Neeb said the town has an understanding with Aqua Indiana that if the annexation goes through, Aqua Indiana would provide utility services to a large portion of the affected area. The cost of hooking up to Aqua Indiana would be significantly less than tapping in through Dyer. The tap in fee for the municipal system is $4,000, while tap in for Aqua Indiana is $800.

The council also is exploring the option of allowing residents to choose by way of petition drive whether they actually want water and sewer, rather than requiring all new residents to tap into utility lines.

Under this plan, residents could keep their wells and septic tanks as long as they passed muster with county health department standards. Residents could also petition, on a street-by-street basis, for utilities to be put in.

Two-thirds of residents on the street in question would have to sign the petition, Neeb said.

The town cannot provide the property tax information residents want because its financial consultant, H.J. Umbaugh, is still crunching the numbers, Neeb said.

Many of those who attended the meeting appeared frustrated that they will not be allowed to vote on whether their properties will be annexed.

State statute does not provide for a referendum on annexation questions, said Bill Enslen, town attorney. Residents will have a chance to remonstrate at the public hearing, to be held in November. If 65 percent of property owners oppose the annexation they have the right to take the matter to court.

The Town Council will set the date for the hearing in August. The council meets in study session on the first Wednesday of the month. Its official business meeting is the third Wednesday of the month.