Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
SYRACUSE - The news was a little hard to swallow. Town council members heard from insurance agent Greg Miller of Bremen Tuesday regarding the town's workman's compensation insurance rates and then from Brian Houghton, a Jones & Henry engineer from Fort Wayne, regarding the water distribution study.
The council learned insurance rates are up and the water pressure is low.
Miller advised the board that three workman's compensation policies would expire May 1.
Rates for the town employees, provided by Indiana Public Employee Plan, Miller said, would increase from $26,000 to $33,000 because of a number of expensive claims filed in the last three years.
Another policy, formerly provided by Liberty Mutual Insurance, for the volunteer fire department was also nearing the expiration date with a cost of $1,000, the same as last year, only to be carried by IPEP.
Then Miller advised the board the weekly payout to firemen disabled or involved in an accident while firefighting has been raised from $150 per week to $250 per week by the state legislature.
The board heard a $450 weekly stipend could be provided for a premium of $4,150, an increase from $3,600, to provide $150-a-week disability pay.
A new policy for reserve police officers covering disability and accidental death, also provided by IPEP, would cost $500. The town now has five reserve officers.
The board approved all four policies and tabled a proposal by insurance agent Chris Cotton, then moved on to the water situation.
Jones & Henry was asked to do a water distribution study in November. Houghton outlined the structure of the present system and made recommendations for the future.
The town has one treatment plant, Houghton said, and the output of one of three wells is treated there. Output of the other two wells goes through a chlorination process only.
The average output of the three wells is 468,000 gallons per day with a maximum use of 790,000 gallons a day.
The system has two elevated water storage tanks, a north tower, which could hold 150,000 gallons, and a south tower, which could hold 100,000 gallons.
The water pressure of the system is regulated by the water level in the north water tank. And that level is kept relatively low because the south tower is 25 feet lower, in height, than the north tower.
The north tower cannot be filled to capacity because, if it is, the south tank overflows.
As a consequence water pressure in the north tank is about 28 to 29 psi on average, well below the recommended 35 psi.
Houghton described the pressure in the water hydrants as significantly deficient, indicating that nearly all of them were below 20 psi.
The engineer also said design standards recommend water mains be a minimum 6 inches in circumference. He said most of the mains are 4 to 6 inches with some as small as 1-1/2 inches.
Houghton made several recommendations, saying again design standards suggest the town install another water tower to maintain an elevated capacity equal to the daily output; that 8-inch water mains be installed in the current system in several places; that another well be added; that the system be revamped and added onto; and that the treatment plant undergo improvements.
A cost for all of these items added up to about $3 million.
Tom Miller of ST Environmental Service Inc., the management company overseeing the town's public works department admitted an expenditure of $30,000 would pay for installation of a computerized water level sensor in the north tank and alleviate some of the pressure problems.
Miller was instructed to purchase such a sensor immediately.
Houghton said the capacity of the town could reach two million gallons a day, which would accommodate future annexations and industrial growth.
He said the size of the treatment plant is a problem and the low hydrant pressure is another.
A well must be installed as part of the state mandated wellhead protection program.
In other business the board:
• Accepted the proposal by Larry Teghtmeyer to pay $15,000 for a sanitary sewer line extension as well as hook-on fees to his property south of Bowser Road, where he plans to build a new hardware store in the future. Currently the property is outside city limits. In return Teghtmeyer will voluntarily be annexed.
• Directed town attorney Michael Reed, who attended his first meeting since last month's appointment, to draft an ordinance raising the mileage allowance for town manager Brian Redshaw to 32.5-cents; and to make an amendment to the Paramedic Service fund for $5,000 more, increasing the allotment to $15,000.
Syracuse town council members are: Bill Cutter, president; Barbara Carwile; Paul Stoelting; Bill Hane; and Carol Koble. Elgie Tatman is clerk.
