Syracuse Town Council Has Expensive Meeting
June 20, 2018 at 6:37 p.m.
Syracuse Town Council Has Expensive Meeting
By Mark [email protected]
The meeting opened with the council accepting a proposal to lower its life insurance and its short- and long-term disability premiums by 50 percent. Gina Clevenger, of Clevenger Insurance, who handles the town’s health insurance, made the recommendation to switch to Lincoln Financial for those services.
Town Manager Henry DeJulia requested to spend $32,481 to replace a pair of air conditioners at the town hall. Condensers have gone out in both units to be replaced, and each unit is 40 years old. The contract went to Havel Brothers in Fort Wayne. The council opted to hold off on a service agreement for the time being.
Public Works Superintendent Rob Merchant asked the council to approve a contract for up to $21,000 with J.K. Walker and Associates to help determine exactly where utility easements are in some areas of Syracuse. Merchant said the Maple Grove and Wawasee Heights areas are especially problematic in that regard.
Merchant said it’s been so long since those easements were used that homeowners may have placed sheds, fences or landscaping in them, then sold the property. That leaves current homeowners having no idea that an easement ever existed.
The supervisor called it a “ticking time bomb” because if there’s a water or sewer failure in an area where an easement hasn’t been established between the current homeowners and town officials, it will be difficult at best to make repairs in a timely manner.
Merchant said he anticipates pushback from some homeowners, and that will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.
The council also approved up to $19,500 to seal cracks on 28 roads in Syracuse. The state will reimburse 75 percent of that cost.
Council members also approved $5,000 for a study by Commonwealth Engineering of Indianapolis to look at what can be done with the water department’s chlorine system. Merchant said the current system is nine years old, and parts for repairs are very expensive as they have to shipped from Germany. The council will get a report back on the situation at its July meeting.
The council also authorized clerk-treasurer Paula Kehr-Wicker to draw up an additional appropriation ordinance to replace the backup generator for the town hall. Kehr-Wicker estimated the cost for a new generator to be in the $20,000 range.
Police Chief Jim Layne asked the council to approve Building Inspector Hal Hansbrough as interim ordinance officer. The move would permit Hansbrough to issue orders to have work done on non-compliant properties, but Hansbrough would have just six additional hours a week to work. He works 18 hours a week as building inspector.
After some discussion, the council decided to allow Hansbrough to work the additional hours, but any citations or other legal paperwork would have to go through Layne.
Parks ands Recreation Superintendent Chad Jonsson said he’s close to hiring a new program director, having narrowed the field to eight candidates.
Jonsson also said the Mudtastic Classic will go as planned on Saturday, and he was thankful for the rain Tuesday night. The precipitation means he won’t have to make the mud himself.
The community’s July 4 celebration will be in Lakeside Park, and Long Drive will close around 4 p.m. that day to accommodate pedestrian traffic. The same street will be closed most of the day July 14 for the Tour de Lakes bike race.
Jonsson also said he’s been talking to Wawasee High School officials about enlisting the help of landscaping design students for ideas for Lauderman Park. He said the parks department is very much still in the brainstorming stage of what to do there long term.
Fire Chief Mickey Scott said the cost of a new fire engine will be in his 2019 budget. He said he wants to replace a 2002 model year truck that is past its prime.
The fire department’s annual pork chop and chicken barbecue will be at 10 a.m. July 7, and they will serve until the food is sold.
Lastly, Scott said the channel that runs under the railroad bridge on Syracuse Lake will be lit for one hour following the fireworks on July 4. In the past there have been complaints about the lack of lighting there, and volunteers will handle the task that night.
The next council meeting will be at 7 p.m. July 17 in the town hall.
The meeting opened with the council accepting a proposal to lower its life insurance and its short- and long-term disability premiums by 50 percent. Gina Clevenger, of Clevenger Insurance, who handles the town’s health insurance, made the recommendation to switch to Lincoln Financial for those services.
Town Manager Henry DeJulia requested to spend $32,481 to replace a pair of air conditioners at the town hall. Condensers have gone out in both units to be replaced, and each unit is 40 years old. The contract went to Havel Brothers in Fort Wayne. The council opted to hold off on a service agreement for the time being.
Public Works Superintendent Rob Merchant asked the council to approve a contract for up to $21,000 with J.K. Walker and Associates to help determine exactly where utility easements are in some areas of Syracuse. Merchant said the Maple Grove and Wawasee Heights areas are especially problematic in that regard.
Merchant said it’s been so long since those easements were used that homeowners may have placed sheds, fences or landscaping in them, then sold the property. That leaves current homeowners having no idea that an easement ever existed.
The supervisor called it a “ticking time bomb” because if there’s a water or sewer failure in an area where an easement hasn’t been established between the current homeowners and town officials, it will be difficult at best to make repairs in a timely manner.
Merchant said he anticipates pushback from some homeowners, and that will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.
The council also approved up to $19,500 to seal cracks on 28 roads in Syracuse. The state will reimburse 75 percent of that cost.
Council members also approved $5,000 for a study by Commonwealth Engineering of Indianapolis to look at what can be done with the water department’s chlorine system. Merchant said the current system is nine years old, and parts for repairs are very expensive as they have to shipped from Germany. The council will get a report back on the situation at its July meeting.
The council also authorized clerk-treasurer Paula Kehr-Wicker to draw up an additional appropriation ordinance to replace the backup generator for the town hall. Kehr-Wicker estimated the cost for a new generator to be in the $20,000 range.
Police Chief Jim Layne asked the council to approve Building Inspector Hal Hansbrough as interim ordinance officer. The move would permit Hansbrough to issue orders to have work done on non-compliant properties, but Hansbrough would have just six additional hours a week to work. He works 18 hours a week as building inspector.
After some discussion, the council decided to allow Hansbrough to work the additional hours, but any citations or other legal paperwork would have to go through Layne.
Parks ands Recreation Superintendent Chad Jonsson said he’s close to hiring a new program director, having narrowed the field to eight candidates.
Jonsson also said the Mudtastic Classic will go as planned on Saturday, and he was thankful for the rain Tuesday night. The precipitation means he won’t have to make the mud himself.
The community’s July 4 celebration will be in Lakeside Park, and Long Drive will close around 4 p.m. that day to accommodate pedestrian traffic. The same street will be closed most of the day July 14 for the Tour de Lakes bike race.
Jonsson also said he’s been talking to Wawasee High School officials about enlisting the help of landscaping design students for ideas for Lauderman Park. He said the parks department is very much still in the brainstorming stage of what to do there long term.
Fire Chief Mickey Scott said the cost of a new fire engine will be in his 2019 budget. He said he wants to replace a 2002 model year truck that is past its prime.
The fire department’s annual pork chop and chicken barbecue will be at 10 a.m. July 7, and they will serve until the food is sold.
Lastly, Scott said the channel that runs under the railroad bridge on Syracuse Lake will be lit for one hour following the fireworks on July 4. In the past there have been complaints about the lack of lighting there, and volunteers will handle the task that night.
The next council meeting will be at 7 p.m. July 17 in the town hall.
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