SYRACUSE - Indiana State Trooper Thomas Perzanowski was named as the new Syracuse town marshal at the Syracuse Town Council meeting Tuesday.

Perzanowski is retiring from the state police at the end of this year after 20 years of service. He has a B.S. degree from Goshen College and a M.S. degree from IU/PU Fort Wayne. His position as town marshal is effective Jan. 8.

"He probably had as good qualifications as could be asked for," Council President William Cutter said.

There were 12 total applications for the job, he said. Perzanowski lives in Syracuse and Cutter said Perzanowski would have applied for the town marshal job previously but it was too soon to retire from the state police.

"It just seemed like it happened at an opportune time," Cutter said. "We're really happy with the selection. It was a unanimous selection. He's a fine man."

Current Town Marshal William F. Endler's resignation will be effective Jan. 7.

Endler is leaving to become a full-time instructor for the National Institute for Truth Verification in West Palm Beach, Fla.

In other business, after examining the final schematic of the community center, the council approved applying for an Indiana Chamber of Commerce Community Finance Funds grant. The public meeting on the grant application will be Jan. 25 at 7 p.m.

Road plans for the three-lane Ind. 13 project from Railroad to Chicago Street were approved. Syracuse Town Manager Brian Redshaw said he was told the construction will begin sometime in July and will take only one day. Bids for the project still have to be advertised.

Redshaw said he has a price for additional street lights. The lights will be at Rose and North Shore Drive, East Nokumis Road between 607 and 609, 1000 W. Brooklyn and Hillside and Kinder. The total price will be $1,511.96 per year.

Endler requested the purchase of a $1,200 radar for the new marked police car. He also requested $5,550, after trade-in, for a new voice stress analyzer from the National Institute of Truth Verification. The council approved both requests.

Park board chairman Bill Wight told the council they will re-advertise for a new park superintendent. A candidate for the position decided not to take the job.

The 2000 water and wastewater budgets were approved. The water budget increased 3.1 percent from last year, with a total budget of $429,900. The wastewater budget increased 1 percent from last year, with a total budget of $787,665.

Kent Thielka, public works superintendent, requested the purchase of additional meter reading equipment for $6,500. Last month, their current meter reading equipment failed and the department had to estimate some of last month's billing.

Clerk-treasurer Elgie Tatman said, "I would like you to do it because we are getting telephone calls, and if you don't do it, I'm sending the calls to each one of you."

The council approved. They also approved for Thielka to send the air radar at the wastewater plant to Northern Electric to be inspected for a maximum cost of $3,000. The air radar is experiencing technical difficulties.

Thielka said he would also like to insulate one of the street department garages for $786.84. It has no insulation currently. The council approved.

An ordinance fixing salary and compensation of town employees for 2000 was approved.

The town council president will receive $3,000 per year, with the other council members receiving $2,500. The clerk treasurer will be paid $38,000; town manager, $49,920; town attorney, $10,000 per year; town marshal, $38,000; fire chief, $38,000; police detective, $31,353.98; police sergeant, $30,802.36; and deputy marshal, $30,185.70.

Paid holidays for town employees in 2000 will be Jan. 1, April 21, May 29, July 4, Sept. 4, Nov. 23, Nov. 24, and Dec. 25.

Mike Brower was reappointed to the Syracuse Board of Zoning Appeals.

Syracuse town council members are: Paul Stoelting, Bill Hane, Barbara Carwile, Cutter, Carol Koble. [[In-content Ad]]