SYRACUSE - In July, Syracuse Town Council members gave Robert Reynolds of London Witte Group (LWG) the go-ahead to put his recommended rate increases in ordinance form, and at Tuesday evening’s meeting those ordinances were introduced.
Ordinance #2023-05 is the water rate ordinance and an example of metered rates per 1,000 gallons are as follows: the first 2,500 gallons would pay $9.17 per 1,000 gallons; the next level would be 17,500 gallons and would pay $8.25 per 1,000 gallons. There’s also a minimum charge based on the size of the meter, starting at $22.93 for a 5/8”-3/4” meter.
Last month, Reynolds said for the minimum charge end user of about 2,000 gallons, who currently pays $18.96 a month, there’d be a $4.03 increase to $22.93. For the average user of 3,000 gallons, they currently pay $22.64 and they’d see an increase of $4.82 to $27.64.
Ordinance #2023-06 is the wastewater rate ordinance and states there’s a fixed rate of $5.57 per month, plus rates and charges based on the quantity of water used of $15.57 per 1,000 gallons per month for operation, maintenance, replacement and debt service costs. There’s also a minimum monthly charge for sewer service in the amount of $21.28.
Last month, Reynolds presented the council with three options, and they chose option one. The impact on customers would be a $5.58 increase for the minimum user from the current bill of $13.18 to $18.76 a month. The average user of 3,000 gallons would see an increase of $13.81 and their bill would go from $32.64 to $46.45 and the flat rate user would increase from $44.22 to $62.93.
Town Manager David Wilkinson said he prepared two versions of the ordinances, one included an increase in the deposit amount from $200-$250, which he said was recommended by Councilman Larry Siegel. Wilkinson asked the council to accept one or the other versions and if they decide to do that, they’ll hold a public hearing next month after which they could choose to adopt the ordinances.
Councilman Paul Stoelting made the motion to accept the ordinance without the an increase in deposit and the rest of the council agreed. Siegel was not present at the meeting.
Jeremy Hardy, of Commonwealth Engineers, was present and gave the council a report on a couple of the projects, including the Main and Railroad project. He asked the council to approve an extension of 18 days for that project.
Hardy explained the holdup was due to an inability to get a CSX railroad flagger as originally scheduled. He said a flagger was originally scheduled for June. The town manager wrote to CSX and a flagger is now scheduled for Aug. 21-22. The delay has caused the substantial completion date to be pushed back to Aug. 25 from Aug. 9.
He said they’ll still have to come back and seed and take care of any punch list items and they have until Oct. 7 until final completion. Hardy said he wasn’t asking for the final completion date to be changed, just the August date. The council approved the extension.
He also reported that the Oakwood lift station and Lakeside water main will start mobilizing after Labor Day and actual work should start by the end of September.
Park Superintendent Chad Jonsson told the council they were approached by Wawasee Middle School to hold the seventh-grade football games at the new ball field at the Harold Schrock Athletic Complex, beginning Aug. 27.
He said that pushed the parks department’s pee wee football up about 10 days and that will start Sept. 9.
“That’s a new thing for us — we weren’t expecting it, but they asked us because there aren’t any lights at the middle school field and this is a little closer than Milford, so we’ll try to be good hosts for them,” he said.
He reported that the Ward Pavilion project is progressing with plumbing and flooring installed and he hopes they’ll get the pad poured by the end of the week.
He received three quotes for a new metal roof for the community building, which Wilkinson proposed they could use $115,000 of American Rescue Plan Act funds to pay for the roof. The quotes received were from Fine-Line Roofing and Construction, Nappanee, with a quote of $113,000; Clearview Roofing, LLC, LaGrange, with a quote of $133,852.66.
Councilman Nathan Scherer pointed out that included tax and Jonsson said he’d deduct the tax, making the quote after the tax is omitted $128,770.29. The third quote was from Pro Time Metal Roofing, Leesburg, for $166,975.
Jonsson said he’d like to talk to each of them again because there is such a range of prices and would bring it back to the council next month. He said if they go over $115,000 the park board would come up with the difference.
Town attorney Jay Rigdon told the council that he received a letter from the library’s attorney asking for a change in the reverting clause. Rigdon reminded them that the clause states if at any time the property is not used for a library, it reverts to the town.
Rather than an indefinite reverting clause, the library is proposing a five-year reverting clause stating if they don’t build a library within five years the property will revert back to the town.
At first, Stoelting wanted it to stay the same but after discussion with the town attorney and the council, all agreed to the five-year reverting clause.
In other business, the council:
• Heard the lights for the tech park have been shipped.
• Heard a water leak was found and is in the process of being repaired.
• Heard from Fire Chief Mickey Scott that offices are being prepared in the building across the alley from city hall so that his administrative assistant and the township trustee can move into that building.
• Heard that there will be a Heart Saver Class held at the Syracuse Fire Station on Aug. 30 at 4 p.m. For more information, contact the station at 574-457-4100.