Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
SYRACUSE - Country Meadows Mobile Home Park, Elkhart County, wants to connect to the town's water.
According to Jim Malcolm, of Malcolm Engineering, Goshen, representing the mobile home park, the owners want to connect at the northernmost part of the water line on Huntington Street. The Indiana Department of Environmental Management is requiring the park to eliminate its private well and connect to public water. The park will use approximately 6,000 gallons of water a day and will be on a large meter in the Syracuse town limits. They are not asking to be annexed or for any potential growth at this time.
If the mobile home park was within the town limits, Malcolm said, they would have to hook up and the town would have to let them. In this case, the park is in a separate county so they're "asking for your blessing" to hook up.
Clint Houseworth, Syracuse public works superintendent, said the pipe to be installed doesn't meet the town's specifications and he would want to do some research on the park's plans before the town approved the project. Houseworth said he saw no problem with actually supplying the park with water and it would have no adverse effect on the town's supply.
Malcolm said while the pipe may not meet the town's specifications, it does meet IDEM's specifications for water pipe installation.
The council approved for Houseworth, town manager Brian Redshaw and the town's engineers to work on the details of the project, get the notice of intent drafted and then report to the town council at its October meeting. At that meeting, the council will decide whether or not to let the mobile home park hook on to the city's water.
Also, the council approved for Sprint to use the Washington and Mill streets rights of way for fiber optic installation.
Richard Hughes, Sprint, told the council the construction will take approximately three weeks. The depth of the fibers will be 4 to 6 feet.
"This will be the fourth fiber coming out of your town," said Hughes.
Houseworth said he had no problems with Sprint's request.
In other business, the town council:
• Approved the bid from Phend & Brown for $99,994.17 for the fall 2002 street paving project. According to Houseworth, the town has 17 locations and the bid is a total for all the locations. The town will go ahead with the paving of the different locations as funds allow. Phend & Brown was the lowest bidder.
• Approved a change order for the Palm Drive water and sewer project to extend the water line to Lakeside Drive, approximately 100 feet. The price, from Cripe Excavating, who is doing the project, is approximately $6,317.
• Approved $1,970 for an advertisement of Syracuse in the Kosciusko County Convention & Visitors' Bureau magazine.
• Approved for the Syracuse EMS to purchase two laptop computers for approximately $6,500.
• Approved to donate a water tap to the Kiwanis for their ballfield for a cost to the town of approximately $1,000. The waterline is on the east side of Long Drive, so it will have to cross the street.
• Approved the final reading and adoption of the 2003 budget. The total 2003 budget estimate is $3,195,202.
• Approved an additional appropriation of $25,000 for the design work for the cumulative sewer project.
• Approved a resolution to reduce the 2002 budget by $7,500 out of the general fund.
• Approved making the south side of Pearl Street, from Huntington to the alley, north of Syracuse Caf, an area for handicapped parking only instead of no parking.
• Was told by council president Barb Carwile, Syracuse's representative on the Kosciusko County Board of Zoning Appeals, Ron Sharp, doesn't want to serve another term after his current term expires Dec. 31. Carwile said she will present a recommendation for his replacement at the October meeting.
Members of the Syracuse Town Council are Carwile, Carol Koble, Paul Stoelting, Bill Hane and Mike Davis. They meet at 7 p.m. in the town hall on the third Tuesday of every month.
