SYRACUSE - A meeting with Department of Natural Resources officials to discuss drainage issues around the Syracuse Community Center has been postponed.

The drainage plan, drawn up for the Syracuse Town Council by Indanapolis engineering firm Greeley and Hansen, was slated to be presented before the Indiana Department of Natural Resources Sept. 5.

But the council nixed that idea Tuesday at their regular meeting.

Council members said they didn't have ample time to review the drainage plans and were opposed to portions of them.

The council brought up their opposition to the plan when Town Manager Brian Redshaw presented the council with the bids for the engineering of the project. The goal of the project, Redshaw said, is to design a storm water drainage system the new community center can drain into.

Councilwoman Carol Koble said she was opposed to the plans - which she said she just saw for the first time in the past week - because they include a swail that will take up 25 feet of park ground. She said she doesn't want to see water sitting nor kids get hurt when they play on or around it, which they would.

Redshaw said that however they address the drainage issue for the community center, it needs to be done on park ground. Koble said she understands that but doesn't want a swail.

Several residents of North Shore Drive, including Larry Coplen, said they shared the same concerns as Koble. Coplen said they are opposed to an open swail next to their property because it will create a nesting ground for mosquitoes, it's dangerous to children and will affect property values in the area. He said they encourage the town to use a closed pipe for the project and if it takes 5 to 6 feet of fill to bury it, that was better than a drainage swail. He said Tuesday's meeting was the first chance they had to express their concerns on the project.

"We're all for improvement, so if this can be put underground," it'll be an advantage, he said.

Clint Houseworth, utilities superintendent, said when he called the DNR for input on the project, they wouldn't provide any. The only way they'd look at the project, he said, was if they went ahead and submitted something and then they'd give their input on the project. While the town wants to look at all alternatives for the project, Houseworth said they first had to get something on paper to present to the DNR.

The DNR, Koble said, is not concerned how the water drains off, but whether or not it should drain off to the lake. She, on the other hand, is concerned about how it gets there.

Council president Barbara Carwile said the plans were not brought before the town council first and "as far as I am concerned, these plans needed to be brought before the town council."

It was determined the plans will be reviewed and the meeting with the DNR will be canceled for Sept. 5. When a new meeting is scheduled, the public will be informed, Carwile assured.

"The town council needs to be more informed on this situation," she said.

However, the bid for the engineering work for the project was awarded to DLZ Inc., Indianapolis, for an estimated cost of $25,300.

Regardless of what anyone's heard about the town council or the town Board of Zoning Appeals forcing Sweet Corn Charlie's to move, the council repeatedly said Tuesday those rumors are not true.

Sweet Corn Charlie's is behind England's Restaurant in Syracuse on a vacant lot owned by Parker Engineer Seal Division.

Carwile said neither board had anything to do with Sweet Corn Charlie's being forced to move. The Kosciusko County Area Plan Commission are responsible because it decided produce sales in the county need to be examined.

"The town of Syracuse did not have anything (to do) with this," she said.

Koble said the town wants businesses to stay and said she thinks the business has been good for the community.

Chuck Mohler, also known as Sweet Corn Charlie, told the council his business was set up and approved about seven years ago and "everything was happy." The property, zoned industrial, went through several owners and is now owned by Parker Engineer Seal Division, who Mohler said were not interested in seeking a variance to allow Mohler to stay on their property. He's had some offers to relocate in town and said he thinks that might be an interesting idea for his business.

Of the many rumors he's heard, Mohler said he never blamed the council for being forced to shut down and knew the county was involved.

"I'm not upset about it, it's just a fact of life." But he said he hoped that if the county is going to make him sell his produce on commercially zoned property, they will also go after other produce sellers in simlar situations.

Koble said the issue came about when the county received complaints about roadside vendors. She said she wants Sweet Corn Charlie's to stay in the community and wants the town to do what they can to get them to stay.

Mohler said he has until Sept. 1 to move and will look for a good commercially zoned place to sell his produce.

Since Mohler's season is until Sept. 15, Carwile said she will call the plan commission about extending Mohler's deadline until then. She also recommended Mohler call the county and ask for a deadline.

Before next year's season, which starts June 10 for Mohler, Koble said the town council needs to review their ordinances to see if they want to make any changes that would allow a business like Mohler's to operate.

In other business, the town council:

• Approved awarding the Palm Drive sewer and water main project bid to Cripe Excavating for $96,225.22.

• Approved an agreement with Greeley and Hansen LLC for professional engineering services, not to exceed $10,000 per year.

• Approved the replacement of four pumps in two lift stations, two at each station, at CR 530N and the "Bank Lift Station," for a cost of $12,700, per Houseworth's request.

• Approved the purchase of a water softening system from Culligan for a cost of $615 including free installation, per Houseworth's request.

• Approved the purchase and installation of a sprinkler system on the town hall property from Precision Sprinkler Systems, Syracuse, for $1,282.42.

• Approved the petition from Jimmy D. and Nancy Hall, 607 W. Boston St., to vacate the unimproved alley between lot 4, block 4 in Ketring & Ketring's Addition in Syracuse and the west end of lots 1-4 in the addition. There were no remonstrators.

• Approved the purchase of two chairs for Syracuse's dispatch for $819, per town marshall Tom Perzanowski's request.

• Approved the purchase of a new gear washer for the fire department for $8,000, including electrical and plumbing work, per fire department chief Mickey Scott's request.

• Approved an ordinance for the transfer of $500 from the town manager's operating supplies to new equipment account.

• Approved Carwile's suggestion of proclaiming Sept. 11 as a police and fire department appreciation day.

• Announced the first reading of the proposed 2003 budget is at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 3 and the second reading is Sept. 17 at 7 p.m.

Members of the Syracuse Town Council present Tuesday were Carwile, Koble, Paul Stoelting and Bill Hane. Not present was Mike Davis. The town council meets at 7 p.m. in the town hall on the third Tuesday of every month. [[In-content Ad]]