SYRACUSE - Syracuse Town Council members worked through a full agenda Tuesday evening - some items carried over because last month’s meeting was canceled due to a lack of quorum.
Councilwoman Cindy Kaiser attended the meeting virtually.
Council members approved Turkey Creek Township Fire Chief Mickey Scott’s request to purchase a new ambulance from PennCare, Niles, Ohio, at a cost of $365,238. Scott explained it would be replacing a 2011 ambulance, and he told the council if they ordered a new ambulance today, they wouldn’t receive it until at least September 2026. He found one a year and a half ago and the order was canceled. He explained he found a way to purchase a demonstration unit that is scheduled to come off the line in November. The dealer has to use it for 90 days and then they can sell it.
“We can potentially have it by the end of January 2025 and it matches our current ambulances so all three will match,” Scott said.
The ambulance he’s purchasing is a Braun Chief XL on a Ford F-550 4x4 Diesel. He said they’d be saving $60,000 by removing the power load system and cart from the 2011 ambulance and having them installed in the new unit as well as other equipment. He reported that all three ambulances were out on calls at the same time Friday night.
In other fire department news, he also received the council’s approval to purchase turnout gear at a cost of $29,547 from Hoosier Fire in Valparaiso.
Town Manager David Wilkinson introduced two ordinances for the council’s approval, both dealing with surplus funds from Bond Anticipation Notes (BANS) —one for water projects and the other for wastewater projects. He explained the original projects funded with the BANS were “essentially complete” and he estimated there will be a surplus of $695,615.62 in the water account and $266,757.55 in the wastewater.
“There may be some smaller bills coming in, but the available amounts won’t change much — the ordinances authorize us to use the funds on further projects,” Wilkinson said.
He added that they could choose to use the surplus to repay the BANS “but we’d end up right back here revisiting how to pay for these things again.”
Councilman Bill Musser asked Public Works Superintendent Mark Aurich what sorts of things he anticipates using the funds for, and Aurich responded painting the water tower, lift station generators, replacing service lines, replacing hydrants — all capital projects that he’d first bring to the council for their approval.
Also in public works matters, Jeremy Hardy, of Commonwealth Engineers, asked for approval of a task order for a water asset management plan, to prepare a preliminary engineering report and to apply for a State Revolving Fund loan to replace lead service lines. Hardy said they identified two problem areas — one near the RV Park being developed and one on Huntington Street. He said some of the lines in the old part of town are only 2 inches and they’d be replaced with 8-inch lines.
He said Syracuse didn’t qualify for the grant because the average household income of $61,000 is above the qualifying line of $53,000, but they can use the interest on the loan to replace the lead service lines. Hardy was asking for $80,000 - $50,000 for the asset management plan and $30,000 for the preliminary engineering report, cost-benefit analysis, etc. Less the $10,000 applying for the loan from SRF, it would actually be $70,000.
The council approved the task order and an additional task order for $15,000 for on-call services.
The council also passed an ordinance establishing an economic development commission — a requirement for funding for Dr. Allen’s Rabbit Ridge Development. The commission consists of three members - one appointed by the county council, and they appointed Kim Cates; one appointed by the council president and he appointed Town Manager David Wilkinson; and one member appointed by the council as a whole and they appointed Clerk-Treasurer Virginia Cazier.
In a related matter, the council approved a letter of engagement with LWG regarding Rabbit Ridge bonds.
Wilkinson proposed redoing the town’s façade program, which currently is a 1 percent 25/75 match loan and has $15,000 in an account that hasn’t been used. The program is currently set up to only include businesses uptown.
He proposed expanding the program to all businesses in town and changing from a loan to a 50/50 grant program. He said the beautification committee would oversee the applications.
The council agreed to changing the program to a 50/50 grant program, making it townwide, matching up to $5,000 per applicant and allocating additional funds annually. Town attorney Jay Rigdon will prepare the ordinance amendment.
Wilkinson also received authorization from the council to continue to pursue the idea of potentially adding a boardwalk over the ditch in the village area, on the east side of Ind. 13 from Chicago Street to McDonald’s restaurant between the highway and the access road. He said the Indiana Department of Transportation was fine with it, and he’d work with the new trail director.
He also brought up two code enforcement issues regarding animals. One complaint was received because people weren’t cleaning up after their dogs and there currently is no town ordinance. There’s also no ordinance restricting the number of animals a person can have in town limits.
The council said they were definitely in favor of an animal waste ordinance and Rigdon said he’d prepare one. No decision was made on restricting the animal population.
In other business:
• The council approved the 2024 salary ordinance, which had to be redone because the clerk-treasurer mistakenly left off the public works superintendent’s salary.
• Council President Nathan Scherer appointed Councilman Paul Stoelting as vice president.
• The council approved the contract with Bose Public Affairs Group regarding South Shore development. Scherer abstained.
• The council approved upgrading chemical feed pumps at the wastewater plant at a cost of $22,438 from Gasvoda & Associates, Calumet City, Ill.
• The council heard from Park Superintendent Chad Jonsson that princess parties will take place Feb. 24, Easter egg hunts are coming up, the big project is the Ward Park and Pavilion and work on the community center roof is expected to start April 1.
• Scherer suggested Jonsson research charging non-residents for parking.