Syracuse Councilman Wants to Rescind Fire Station Work
Posted
Kathy Cone-
SYRACUSE - The Syracuse town council addressed some tough issues Tuesday night, successfully resolving three out of four. Those three were agenda items. It was a new business matter involving the fire station that didn’t go smoothly. Near the end of the meeting, councilman Brian Woody asked the council to consider a $541,000 bid for an addition to the Huntington Street fire station. The council had previously authorized a $450,000 expenditure, so Woody was prepared for discussion of the extra cost, much attributable to a sprinkler system. Councilman Larry Siegel, however, said no way, and suggested now is the time to start all over. Siegel held up an envelope of paperwork pertaining to the project, and said, “We’ve been working on this for a couple years now, and they (the fire department) have changed what they’ve needed. I think we should rescind that order.” Councilman Paul Stoelting was displeased that this issue was not on the agenda, which would have allowed the council more time to consider it. Siegel persisted in his arguments against allowing any money to be spent on the project. “I don’t think the fire department knows what it wants,” he stated. Woody persisted in his defense of the project, and reminded him that they already voted on it. “I didn’t vote yes,” Siegel retorted, but Woody argued that in the past he’s voted against a winning order but he was still a part of the council’s decision. Siegel asked for a short break, but Woody declined, saying, “I have to get up at 3:30 a.m. so let’s keep going.” Town manager Henry DeJulia suggested they invite Fire Chief Mickey Scott in to make a presentation, but Woody answered that Scott probably wouldn’t want to be subjected to what he was hearing. A vote was taken to rescind the order for the project allocation, but because of council President Bill Musser’s absence, the vote was tied with Siegel and Stoelting voting yes and Woody and Beer voting no. Town clerk Julie Kline was asked to break the tie, but she declined. “I know I’m allowed to break a tie, but I am not familiar enough with all of it,” she said. Easrlier in the meeting, attorney Steve Snyder addressed the council on behalf of Treco, a local business owned by Jim Tranter operating as Pack Rat storage next to the post office. He requested permission to install a drainage system under a public right-of-way. He presented plans to place catch basins and drainage lines that would take care of water problems along Harrison Street. A few residents argued against the project, saying that water already shoots out towards their homes from the existing pipe. Most were wary of the traffic and noise they would have to endure from the 23 new units to be built. Snyder instructed those in attendance to address the drainage issue, and not the project which had already been approved by the Board of Zoning Appeals. The council was primarily concerned with allowing private construction under a public right-of-way, but after considering the potential relief of drainage problems with no cost to the town, they approved the request. The new budget won unanimous approval to move ahead. It will now be advertised with the first public hearing in September. The tax rate will go down about one cent from this year’s rate to .9107. The proposed budget is $3,331,981, with the tax levy proposed at $1,700,562. Kline said, “We didn’t change our operating budget from what I proposed last month, and the tax rate will go down.” The Riverfront District is now a reality, with the council approving a resolution designating the existing redevelopment, or economic development, area as its location. This area covers the east and west sides of Huntington Street from County Line Road south through Wawasee Village, and two industrial parks. Council members wanted to include more area, but town attorney Vern Landis said the riverfront district had to be within what was currently designated for redevelopment. “We have the ability to change the map whenever,” asked Woody, and he was told yes. This district will allow new alcohol permitting laws, and opportunities to convert the area into an arts and restaurant district. In other business, the council gave a resident the go-ahead to connect a new sewer line to the town’s system. Tim Campbell, who is building a home on County Line Road, just east past the Syracuse line, plans to request annexation into the town. Because the time frame for such requests is around 45 days, and Campbell hopes to move into his new home at the beginning of October, the council said he would be approved and to install his lines.
