DECLARATION OF LOCAL EMERGENCY

TOWN OF LAPEL PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICER’S

DECLARATION OF LOCAL EMERGENCY REGARDING

ONGOING DROUGHT CONDITIONS AND ISSUANCE OF BURN BAN

WHEREAS, the undersigned is the duly elected President of the Lapel Town Council (hereinafter, “Town Council”); and,

WHEREAS, I.C. §10-14-3-29(a)(1) and I.C. §36-5-2-2 permits the President of the Town Council to declare a local emergency; and,

WHEREAS, the Town Council has a duty to protect the safety of the citizens and property in the Town of Lapel; and,

WHEREAS, on October 4, 2025, I find the Town of Lapel to be at risk of widespread fire hazards because of ongoing drought conditions, issuing a town-wide burn ban.

 IT IS THUS DECLARED THAT A STATE OF LOCAL EMERGENCY EXISTS IN

THE TOWN OF LAPEL, INDIANA

1. Pursuant to the provisions of I.C. §10-14-3-29, a state of emergency exists in the Town, and that I hereby invoke and declare those portions of the Indiana Code which apply to the conditions and have caused the issuance of this declaration to be in full force and effect in the town for the exercise of all necessary emergency authority for the protection of the lives and property of the people of Lapel.
2. Effective immediately, the following activities are prohibited in the Town of Lapel:
   1. Campfires and other recreational fires, unless enclosed in a fire ring with dimensions of 23 inches in diameter, 6 inches high or larger;
   2. Open burning of any kind using conventional fuel such as wood, or other combustible matter, except for grills fueled by charcoal briquettes or propane;
   3. The burning of debris, such as timber or vegetation, including but not limited to such debris that results from building construction activities and/or windstorm debris; and,
   4. The use of burn barrels for any open burning at residential structures.
3. Charcoal from permitted grills shall not be removed from the grills until the charcoal has been thoroughly extinguished.
4. Reference is hereby made to all appropriate laws, statutes, ordinances, and resolutions, particularly to Section 10-14-3-29 of the Indiana Code.
5. All public offices and employees of the Town of Lapel are hereby directed to exercise the utmost diligence in the discharge of duties required of them for the duration of the emergency and in the execution of emergency laws, regulations, and directives whether state or local.

6. All residents are called upon and directed to comply with necessary emergency measures, to cooperate with public officials and disaster services in executing emergency operations plans, and to obey and comply with the lawful directions of properly identified officers.
7. This burn ban shall be in force immediately and will remain in force until rescinded by the Lapel Town Council.

The Lapel Town Council shall reevaluate this Declaration every seven (7) days.

This Emergency Declaration shall be promptly filed in the Office of the Clerk-Treasurer of Lapel, Indiana, posted in various locations throughout the Town, and provided to the local news media.

SO DECLARED this  4th day of October, 2025.

/s/ Brian Robertson

Brian Robertson, President, Lapel Town Council

Prepared by:

Jeffrey K. Graham  #26380-29

GRAHAM, FARRER & WILSON, P.C.

1601 S. Anderson Street, Elwood, IN 46036

200 E. State Street, Pendleton, IN 46064

(765) 552-9878 / jgraham@gfwlawyers.com

Notice to Water Customers

Notice to Water Customers

We are aware that some customers have experienced discolored water. While we understand that it doesn’t look ideal, please be assured that the water is safe and potable per all Indiana state drinking water standards. The discoloration is caused by naturally occurring minerals, specifically iron and manganese, that have built up in the lines over time. When certain events occur, such as a sharp increase in water usage, those minerals can be stirred up and temporarily cause the water to appear discolored.

To maintain water quality, we conduct regular water tests each month from various points in the service area. We also test water at customers' points of connection each time a complaint is submitted. These samples are tested to ensure the water is safe for our customers and the results of these tests consistently indicate our water is safe.

The town is currently flushing hydrants, which is causing a temporary increase in discoloration. During the next month, we are also scheduled to have our water tank cleaned and painted. Additionally, cleaning of our wells has been ordered by the Town Council, with work on that project beginning in the next few weeks and we are awaiting delivery of new water meters which will assist us in monitoring water usage in real time. 

Looking ahead, an engineering firm has been engaged to identify potential new well locations. This will create additional water supply, which will be beneficial in our efforts to improve the overall performance of our water delivery infrastructure. The town has also requested a cost estimate for replacement of all old pipes and will make that information available for public review. 

Additional information will be sent once firm dates for the tank and well cleaning are established so customer's will be aware of the times when discoloration is likely to occur. We appreciate your patience as we complete this work.

Redevelopment Commission Members Needed

There are currently 2 openings on the Town of Lapel Redevelopment Commission please send or drop off letters of interest at Lapel Town Hall!

Town of Lapel

P.O.Box 999 / 825 N Main Street

Lapel, Indiana 46051-0999

Park Board Member Needed

There is an opening on the Town of Lapel Park Board please send or drop off letters of interest at Lapel Town Hall!

Town of Lapel

P.O.Box 999 / 825 N Main Street

Lapel, Indiana 46051-0999

Declaration of Local Emergency

Please see the following images concerning a declaration of local emergency. 

Page 1 | Page 2

UPDATE: LKQ Proposal (Special Use)

The next BZA meeting is on October 30, 2023

Dear Lapel residents, 

During the last BZA public meeting on October 9, 2023, the BZA continued the review of the LKQ's Special Use application to the next meeting on October 30, 2023, at the Lodge (818 Main Street, Lapel, IN) at 6 p.m. The agenda for this upcoming meeting is located here with the files that were submitted for this case so far by the petitioner, staff and the public.

Note: there was a discrepancy during the hearing of whether the Town of Lapel has or doesn’t have a Wellhead Protection Plan for the well at SR 13. There is a Wellhead Protection Plan that covers the well located by SR 13 and the map for it is uploaded as Exhibit E with the agenda linked above.

While the state law prohibits anyone from contacting BZA members directly with the intent to influence their decision on the applications going through the review, the law allows the staff to submit written files to the BZA at least 5 days before the meeting. If you would like to submit any additional information to the Board before the meeting, please email it to Oksana Polhuy at oksana@lapelindiana.org by 5 pm on October 24^th. Please state your name and address in your request. Also, if you have any planning questions regarding this item, feel free to email Ms. Polhuy as well.

Kind regards,

Oksana Polhuy

Planning Administrator

UPDATE: LKQ Proposal (Special Use)

The next BZA meeting is on October 9, 2023

Dear Lapel residents, 

During the last BZA public meeting on September 18, 2023, the BZA continued the review of the LKQ's Special Use application to the next meeting on October 9, 2023, at the Station at 6 p.m. The attendees requested access to the written information that was submitted to the BZA during the public meeting. The agenda for this upcoming meeting is located here. The files submitted to the BZA by the public and an additional exhibit submitted by the staff during the meeting are attached to this agenda. The staff also added a few files to the applicant's submittal that were submitted by the applicant but were not in the previous online Staff Report file (warranty deeds and the sewer letter). 

While the state law prohibits anyone from contacting BZA members directly with the intent to influence their decision on the applications going through the review, the law allows the staff to submit written files to the BZA at least 5 days before the meeting. If you would like to submit any additional information to the Board before the meeting, please email it to Oksana Polhuy at oksana@lapelindiana.org by October 2nd at the latest to allow a few days to consolidate and post files online and send them to the Board members. Also, if you have any planning questions regarding this item, feel free to email Ms. Polhuy as well.

Kind regards,

Oksana Polhuy

Planning Administrator

Concerning the LKQ Rezone

As many may already be aware, since last Thursday several social media accounts have gone “viral” with discussions pertaining to the recent rezone and potential LKQ project that was passed during our most recent Council Meeting.

While several residents of our town have expressed excitement toward the project and the new jobs and tax revenue that the will incur as a result of the project, others disagree and disapprove. Both are completely acceptable reactions to have as everyone is entitled to their own opinions.

What people are not entitled to are their own facts.

Unfortunately, during these past few days, lies, mistruths, accusations of criminal impropriety, false information about environmental disaster, and campaigns filled with reckless disregard of the truth against members of our council and their families have been disseminated.

While we have asked our Legal Team to write an open letter to explain how the entire rezoning process was completely above board, we, the entire council, would also like to take this time to express our shock and disappointment.

The vote was 3-2 in favor. Clearly a split decision. However, we were all able to respect each other’s opinions and civilly disagree.

We implore EVERYONE to please think and consider using more kindness and compassion before you begin lobbing attacks on social media against members of our town. We are all neighbors and we all want what’s best for our town.

Again, we are not saying that we all have to agree on everything, but we believe that we should all be civil towards each other. In 2023, it might be a rarity elsewhere . . . but it’s always been the standard here in Lapel and we certainly don’t wish for a small group of our residents to completely change our culture because they’re unhappy with a legally sound and binding vote.

Please read the attached letter. If you have questions, please feel free to contact any of the five of us.

Respectfully,

The Lapel Town Council

Attachments

Updated Website for the Town of Lapel

The Town of Lapel website at https://lapelindiana.org has had a makeover, with a lot of enhancements and improvements. 

Thanks for stopping by and please Contact Us if you need further assistance.

Natural Gas Price Update

Town of Lapel
Natural Gas Price Update
Winter 2022-2023

There are several factors impacting natural gas prices. First and foremost, natural gas prices have been impacted by the Russia/Ukraine conflict. Russia has limited deliveries of natural gas to Europe via the Nordstream pipeline. As of August 31^st, Russia is delivering no gas via Nordstream with no date to resume service which should send European price skyrocketing if the outage continues. This has driven natural gas prices for Winter for Europe past $40/Mcf after trading over $100/Mcf…more than ten times the US price! The US is making up some of the shortfall via LNG exports to Europe and other countries. The US can export more than 12 Bcf/day when operating at capacity. Every cubic foot of natural gas that can leave this country will due to the high price overseas market. Natural gas storage is 7.4% (223 Bcf) below last year due to the US using significant natural gas consumption for power generation to meet cooling demands. Natural gas production which most had anticipated to reach 97 Bcf/day, or higher this year has not reached that point. Natural gas production is currently at its highest for the year at/near 96.5 Bcf/day and it just reached these levels after lingering below 94 Bcf/day for most of the year. These factors have allowed natural gas prices to reach 14-year highs.

It's not all bad news for US buyers. The Freeport LNG plant which produces 2.2 Bcf/day remains offline and is currently projected to be back in service no sooner than mid-November and will likely be off longer. That pushes 2.2 Bcf/day into storage until its restart, gas that otherwise would have left the country. The next several weeks we should see strong injections into storage. NOAA just posted their updated forecast on 9/15 forecasting well above normal temperatures for November into December for most of the highly populated (high gas consumption) regions. This would push additional gas into the ground as well and could push prices lower. 

The natural gas market remains volatile and we anticipate natural gas costs will be higher than last winter. Prices have somewhat decoupled from the European price and are currently trading well off the recent high prices with only January 2023 delivery trading over $8.00/Mcf on 9/16. It was only a few days ago all of winter was trading over $9.00/Mcf. The long-term outlook depends mostly on the weather trend. We will need a winter of above normal temps as a whole to bring prices down significantly.  We will keep you posted on natural gas price expectations as winter nears.

Lapel Parks and Thoroughfare Open House

Please plan to attend a public open house for the Parks and Recreation Master Plan for the Lapel Parks Department and the Thoroughfare Master Plan for the Town of Lapel.

Save the Date

September 1st at the Eagles on 9th St.

6:30PM

For more information visit lapelplanning.wpengine.com

Funeral Procession for Officer Noah Shahnavaz

A message from the Lapel Police Department concerning the Funeral route for Elwood Officer Noah Shahnavaz on Saturday, 6 August 2022.\