Syracuse Seeks Railway Quiet Zone
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
The Syracuse town council has researched establishing a "quiet zone," meaning train engineers don't blow their horns except in an emergency, for more than five years.
While the town adopted an ordinance in 2000 to establish this policy, railroad procedures are dictated by federal policy.
Cassie Cowan, president of the Syracuse town council, approached county commissioners Tuesday about the town's request for the quiet zone.
Railroad engineers sound a horn at all times of the day, she said, beginning just outside town limits and continuing through Syracuse's eight railroad intersections.
Because the crossing are "mostly up to date," with caution lights and signal gates, Syracuse may be eligible as a quiet zone with upgrades. Cowan asked that the commissioners' co-sign a petition to the Federal Railroad Administration to establish the quiet zone.
She said the most modern gates would be sensitive to a vehicle on the tracks and one side would raise to let a vehicle between the arms pass.
"We're seeking private donations for the upgrades," Cowan said. "We won't use town money."
She said another option would be to install a horn on poles directed at drivers near the crossings to warn them about an oncoming train instead of having the train's horn blowing all the time.
The commissioners agreed to sign the document as long as no county funds were sought.
Cowan asked the commissioners to make a private donation and received three benign smiles in response.
A "Golden NENA" award was presented to Tom Brindle, director of the county's central dispatch at the Indiana 9-1-1 National Emergency Number Association's annual conference last week.
Sheriff Aaron Rovenstine said the "One Nation - One Number" award recognized a great department and presented the award to Brindle during the meeting.
"It's not really just for me," Brindle said. "It's for all the dispatchers."
The county's dispatch system is consistently recognized as one of the most efficient and progressive in the state. Rovenstine said people are welcome to tour the facility.
Indiana NENA held its annual conference last week with Brindle presenting a morning and afternoon topic Tuesday.
Ed Rock, Kosciusko County emergency management director, said he was going to apply for a grant of about $250,000 to provide additional mobile data units for community police department vehicles, in ambulances and in fire engines around the county.
Rock asked to apply for the Homeland Security-sponsored grant a couple of months ago.
The mobile data computers allows operators access to certain local and state information, like vehicle registration and driver's license information, without calling on dispatchers to do the research.
Dennis Pletcher, highway department, received permission to purchase three pickup trucks for about $48,000 to replace three older vehicles in the department. He said the last time pickups were bought was in 1997.
"In fact, my truck is a 1997 and has 170,000 miles on it. It's a good truck, but ...," he said.
Pletcher also appeared before the board with an ordinance to close CR 150E south of the Webster-Syracuse Road, which is becoming an unofficial landfill since the railroad crossing was closed a couple of years ago.
The only access to the southern end of the road will be for farmers to get to fields.
The board also:
• Denied a petition by CLS Investments to vacate a portion of Waveland Beach along Lake Wawasee.
• Tabled, for 60 days, a request to vacate portions of easements as requested by Crooked Creek Development in the Greystone subdivision.
The commissioners said they would agree to an encroachment on the easement.
The developers want to sell a lot "too small" to put in a septic system requiring a field. The commissioners want to retain the easement in case utilities are needed.
During the April 4 meeting the commissioners asked for letters of recommendation from utility companies and the county health department. None were provided Tuesday.
• Approved a request filed by James and Karen Ellison to rezone 0.905 acres from a residential district to an industrial II district. The property is on the west side of Riverlawn Drive, 175 feet south of Woodland Drive in Plain Township.
The next commissioner's meeting is May 1 at 9 a.m., a change from the regular Tuesdays meeting because of the primary election.
Commissioners are Brad Jackson, Avis Gunter and Ron Truex. [[In-content Ad]]
The Syracuse town council has researched establishing a "quiet zone," meaning train engineers don't blow their horns except in an emergency, for more than five years.
While the town adopted an ordinance in 2000 to establish this policy, railroad procedures are dictated by federal policy.
Cassie Cowan, president of the Syracuse town council, approached county commissioners Tuesday about the town's request for the quiet zone.
Railroad engineers sound a horn at all times of the day, she said, beginning just outside town limits and continuing through Syracuse's eight railroad intersections.
Because the crossing are "mostly up to date," with caution lights and signal gates, Syracuse may be eligible as a quiet zone with upgrades. Cowan asked that the commissioners' co-sign a petition to the Federal Railroad Administration to establish the quiet zone.
She said the most modern gates would be sensitive to a vehicle on the tracks and one side would raise to let a vehicle between the arms pass.
"We're seeking private donations for the upgrades," Cowan said. "We won't use town money."
She said another option would be to install a horn on poles directed at drivers near the crossings to warn them about an oncoming train instead of having the train's horn blowing all the time.
The commissioners agreed to sign the document as long as no county funds were sought.
Cowan asked the commissioners to make a private donation and received three benign smiles in response.
A "Golden NENA" award was presented to Tom Brindle, director of the county's central dispatch at the Indiana 9-1-1 National Emergency Number Association's annual conference last week.
Sheriff Aaron Rovenstine said the "One Nation - One Number" award recognized a great department and presented the award to Brindle during the meeting.
"It's not really just for me," Brindle said. "It's for all the dispatchers."
The county's dispatch system is consistently recognized as one of the most efficient and progressive in the state. Rovenstine said people are welcome to tour the facility.
Indiana NENA held its annual conference last week with Brindle presenting a morning and afternoon topic Tuesday.
Ed Rock, Kosciusko County emergency management director, said he was going to apply for a grant of about $250,000 to provide additional mobile data units for community police department vehicles, in ambulances and in fire engines around the county.
Rock asked to apply for the Homeland Security-sponsored grant a couple of months ago.
The mobile data computers allows operators access to certain local and state information, like vehicle registration and driver's license information, without calling on dispatchers to do the research.
Dennis Pletcher, highway department, received permission to purchase three pickup trucks for about $48,000 to replace three older vehicles in the department. He said the last time pickups were bought was in 1997.
"In fact, my truck is a 1997 and has 170,000 miles on it. It's a good truck, but ...," he said.
Pletcher also appeared before the board with an ordinance to close CR 150E south of the Webster-Syracuse Road, which is becoming an unofficial landfill since the railroad crossing was closed a couple of years ago.
The only access to the southern end of the road will be for farmers to get to fields.
The board also:
• Denied a petition by CLS Investments to vacate a portion of Waveland Beach along Lake Wawasee.
• Tabled, for 60 days, a request to vacate portions of easements as requested by Crooked Creek Development in the Greystone subdivision.
The commissioners said they would agree to an encroachment on the easement.
The developers want to sell a lot "too small" to put in a septic system requiring a field. The commissioners want to retain the easement in case utilities are needed.
During the April 4 meeting the commissioners asked for letters of recommendation from utility companies and the county health department. None were provided Tuesday.
• Approved a request filed by James and Karen Ellison to rezone 0.905 acres from a residential district to an industrial II district. The property is on the west side of Riverlawn Drive, 175 feet south of Woodland Drive in Plain Township.
The next commissioner's meeting is May 1 at 9 a.m., a change from the regular Tuesdays meeting because of the primary election.
Commissioners are Brad Jackson, Avis Gunter and Ron Truex. [[In-content Ad]]