SYRACUSE - Syracuse residents will see an increase in their water and sewer bills with the February 2024 billing due to action taken by the town council Tuesday evening.
Council members passed both the water rate ordinance and the sewer rate ordinance without any further comments.
In past meetings, Robert Reynolds, of London Witte Group (LWG), said for the water rate ordinance a minimum user of 2,000 gallons currently pays $18.96 and that will go up $4.03 to $22.93 and an average user of 3,000 gallons currently pays $22.64 and that will increase by $4.82 to $27.64.
For the sewer rates Reynolds said the average user of 3,000 gallons currently pays $37.07 and that bill will go up to $52.70. Reynolds said at last month’s meeting that the utility operated on a $91,000 deficit last year.
The $6.9 million 2024 budget passed without any comment. The budget of $6,940,799 includes a general fund of $2,504,226; $70,000 for local roads and streets; $1,095,300 in the motor vehicle highway fund; and $648,580 in parks.
This year’s budget was $6,320,041 so the 2024 budget is an increase of $620,758. The estimated tax rate for 2024 is $0.819. Last year’s tax rate was $0.8785.
After a bit of hesitation by one council member, an economic development agreement between the town of Syracuse, the Syracuse Redevelopment Commission and Rabbit Ridge Properties LLC developed by Larry Allen was approved.
Attorney Steve Snyder was there, representing Allen, and he explained to the council that Allen wants to develop a senior housing community behind the Goshen Physician complex, 1033 N. Indiana Ave. The property is approximately 9.10 acres. To create infrastructure on the property, it will have an approximate investment of $12 million. The council already established a residential tax increment finance district for the proposed development.
According to the agreement, 80% of the increased assessed value will go to the developer for a period of 20 years. The agreement also states the town will reduce the cost to connect to utilities.
Snyder said Allen has to come up with the money ahead of time and will do so with bonds or promissory notes. When Councilman Larry Siegel expressed some concern, Snyder assured him that neither the town nor the redevelopment commission have any responsibility for the repayment of bonds.

    Attorney Steve Snyder (front row, far right) speaks to the Syracuse Town Council regarding a senior housing development. Also shown are (L to R), front row: Sarah Yotter, Indiana Telephone Network; another representative from Indiana Telephone Network; and Larry Allen, Rabbit Ridge Properties LLC; back row: Public Works Superintendent Mark Ulrich, Police Chief Jim Layne, Fire Chief Mickey Scott, a member of the redevelopment commission and Eric Ivory of Borden Waste Away. Photo by Denise Fedorow
  

Snyder said the only way the bonds would be repaid is through the increased value. “Eighty percent of the increase goes to the repayment of the bonds. There is no obligation on the town or RDC period,” he said.
Phase one has 20 units and phase two has 22. They’re all anticipated to be duplexes — some will be rentals, and some will be for sale.
Siegel’s hesitation was whether the town could maintain the development with 20%. Snyder said he could because it would all be new infrastructure and the town would benefit from increased tax revenue and utility income. Siegel wasn’t immediately convinced.
Allen was present and he spoke up, saying after meeting with the town manager and redevelopment commission, “We thought the amount was a reasonable amount for the town to be able to take care of it. I don’t want to have to price people out of the market. We want to keep people here.”
Snyder said he’s been involved in a lot of TIFs that were 100%. “This is a reasonable compromise.”
Town Manager David Wilkinson pointed out that the redevelopment commission did pass the agreement. Seigel said they didn’t understand it — he said the member he talked to said he didn’t know. Other redevelopment commission members present disputed that claim, stating that they all understood.
The agreement did pass unanimously. Allen said he was, “Looking forward to working with the town to create a really nice senior housing community for the town.”
Councilman Bill Musser asked about the name and Allen replied the property was the old Loucks Farm and they used to hunt rabbits there all the time and it’s a ridge so he thought it would be a good name.
Another agreement that garnered a lot of discussion before passing was the agreement between Indiana Telephone Network and the town. Indiana Telephone Network asked to place its equipment on the town’s utility pole as the pole it is currently using at the Sweetlix property is being torn down.
Sarah Yotter was there representing Ben Pilckerd and said they currently pay the towns of Mentone and Claypool $100 a month and they are currently paying $120 a month for their Syracuse location.
Siegel asked Public Works Utility Superintendent Mark Ulrich what he thought and Ulrich said he had no objections to the equipment on the polies but when he researched rental rates the lowest he could find was $500 a month.
Yotter said she could approve $500 a month.
The council also asked that the agreement be for three years with no automatic renewal. Siegel was hesitant to approve without the town attorney having the ability to review it, but the council finally approved it pending the edits the council asked for and a review by the town attorney.
In other business:
• Eric Ivory, the municipal account representative for Borden Waste Away, was present to address concerns that came up at the last meeting about fuel surcharges.
He said while that is a typical charge, since it wasn’t stated in their contract and wasn’t communicated to the town when it got turned on, he was going to remove that charge for the remainder of the contract, which ends July 2024.
• The council heard Ind. 13 will be closed at the railroad crossing from Sunday, Oct. 22 through Nov. 6.
• The council passed an additional appropriation ordinance in the amount of $158,143.50 from Local Roads and Bridges to Community Crossing Grant fund for railroad repairs.
• Syracuse Trick or Treat hours have been set for Oct. 31 from 6 to 8 p.m.