Syracuse Chamber, Council Air Differences

SYRACUSE - While the rest of the world awaits the impending war between the U.S. and Iraq, there was a war of words Tuesday between Syracuse town officials and the Syracuse-Wawasee Chamber of Commerce.

A heated argument erupted at the end of the town council's three-hour meeting.

Council president Barb Carwile began the stand-off when she read a statement. She said the statement didn't reflect on the rest of the town council, it was just her opinion.

A story regarding the chamber's meeting last week in an area paper made her mad, she said, because it reported the chamber was not happy that the town council chose to hire an outside consulting firm for a wage and benefit survey of the town's employees rather than hire Ergo Resource Management.

Ergo Resource Management Inc. is a consulting firm in Syracuse that specializes in wage and benefit surveys, human resource management services and environmental issues.

According to the story, the chamber reported the town will pay the Chicago firm $6,000 to do the survey. During the February meeting, chamber director Steve Hite reportedly asked the council why Ergo was not considered and was told, according to the story, the council members were under the impression Ergo was not qualified to do this particular type of survey. Hite reportedly checked but found Ergo has done work with the Warsaw/Kosciusko County Chamber of Commerce, Kosciusko Development Inc. and the Warsaw Police Department.

The chamber members also were reportedly unhappy the town council passed a sign ordinance banning signs in the public right of way, fining violators $25.

Carwile said the chamber and town council will probably never work together. She said the only people ever at the council's meetings are the council, department heads and reporters. She said she didn't understand why townspeople can meet in their little groups and discuss what's wrong with the town but can't do so at the town meetings.

"The Chamber has no call in being unhappy with the council," Carwile said. After reading her statement, she said the people of Syracuse need to work together, not against one another. The council does what it thinks is right, she said.

Don Strouse, Chamber member, said in the Chamber, as in any organization, there isn't always 100 percent agreement. He said he's been saying the council and Chamber need to work together for some time.

No issue is simple, he said, but as a business owner, he does pay various taxes as well as donate money to town organizations like the fire and police departments. He said he urged the town council to keep the local businesses in mind. When he read the story in the local paper, he said, he thought there would be "a war," but would rather see everyone get along.

Hite said he tries to attend all the meetings he can. He said when the town council is going out for bids for a project or purchase of an item, he hoped the council would think of local businesses and use them first.

Carwile interrupted him and said if Hite knew of Ergo back at the January meeting, he should have notified the council. Secondly, at the February meeting when the council was discussing the quotes received, the council agreed to hire a firm outside of the town to get an unbiased opinion. So the town could get the survey finished in time for budget time this year, the council selected a firm in February. If they waited any longer, the council said at its February meeting, the survey wouldn't be completed in time.

Town manager Brian Redshaw, after several minutes of Hite and Carwile arguing, said the Chamber has been reporting several inaccuracies. First, he said, Ergo didn't do a survey for the WPD. Secondly, the agreement with the Chicago firm was for $4,950, not $6,000.

"If you were man (enough) to walk into my office, I'd show you" the agreement, Redshaw said to Hite. Redshaw accused Hite of skewing issues he knows nothing about. Even though Redshaw said he is a member of the Chamber, the Chamber never notifies him of anything going on or sends him mailings.

Also, Redshaw said, Hite is quick to jump on the town council for spending money outside of the town or for other issues, but never on the Wawasee School Board for the way they spend their money. Redshaw said the Chamber "rips" on the town council when someone they like doesn't get their way.

"My efforts are to promote our town," said Hite. He said he wants to do what he can to get the local businesses to survive, which is hard enough because Syracuse is a summer resort town.

Larry Siegel, town council member, said he is a member of the town council and chamber and has seen both organizations make huge accomplishments. Both are trying to work toward the same goal, and he doesn't know where the conflicts come from, but he said he hopes they can be resolved.

"We all need to be on the same team," he said. "We need to be on the same team. We need to work together."

Everyone wants to support Syracuse's local economy, Siegel said. "If we don't support our local economy, how can we expect anyone else to?"

Redshaw apologized for getting upset, but said he is loyal to the town council and it makes him angry when he sees the council being criticized.

"Your friends don't stab you in the back and kick you in the butt," he said. He said they can work their issues out but there needs to be some civility.

Paul Stoelting, town councilman, said he served on the Chamber for six years and he appreciates what the Chamber has tried to do for the town. He also appreciates Redshaw standing up for the council because sometimes Redshaw stands up for Stoelting more than Stoelting stands up for himself. As for Ergo, Stoelting said, the town council decided on an outside firm because they wanted objective reporting not influenced by local ties. He said he is sorry Ergo didn't work out, and the town needs to consider local businesses.

Syracuse business owner Brian Woody said he saw a lot of tension at the meeting. The town needs someone like Hite to fight for local businesses. The Chamber needs to be used as a tool, not an entity. He also stressed everyone needs to work together.

Carwile then spoke about how long she lived in the town and for many years saw the Chamber trying to tell the council how to run the town. It's the council's job to run the town, she said.