MERRILLVILLE | A town stormwater official wants timely completion of Merrillville Stormwater Utility projects.
Barbara Ghoston, president of the town's Stormwater Management Board, asked the utility during a recent meeting to establish timelines for future projects.
Ghoston said projects started by a board should be finished before their terms expire.
In the event new board members are appointed, she doesn't want them "thrown into" the middle of a project.
Stormwater Board member Leonard White, who was appointed to the panel this year, agrees timelines are necessary for projects, but he indicated he hasn't had difficulties understanding work that started before he was selected to the panel.
Matt Lake, executive director of the Stormwater Utility, said schedules are established for the utility's projects.
"We try to adhere to that as much as possible," Lake said.
There can be factors outside of the utility's control which can prohibit work from occurring, he said.
For example, the utility is in the midst of its Taft Street drainage project, which started last year.
NIPSCO has been relocating a gas line in the project area, so work can't proceed until that is finished, Lake said.
It also can be difficult to time projects with a possible transition on the board because some projects will take longer to complete, Lake said.
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