Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
SYRACUSE - Syracuse Town Council met Tuesday to wrap up 2005 business, including approval of officers.
Town council appointments were made, with Brian Woody unanimously elected president, replacing Cassie Cowan. Woody asked Paul Stoelting to continue serving as vice president.
The fire department and EMS announced their election results. Fire department results were: Mickey Scott, chief; Kevin Grindle, assistant chief; Brian Richcreek, fire captain; Brian Simmons, fire lieutenant; and Roger Grothaus, secretary/treasurer.
EMS appointments were Bob Tinkey, captain; Derek Patterson, lieutenant; and Janelle Fancil, secretary/treasurer.
Two appointments to the park board were tabled until the January meeting because of a conflict of interest. Due to Cowan's absence, Stoelting was serving as board president and could not appoint his wife, Martha Stoelting, to the park board. Martha Stoelting's and Sariah Morgan's recommendations will be voted on Jan. 17.
Department heads were appointed, but did not change. Mickey Scott is head of the fire department and EMS, Tony Ciriello is town marshal, and Michael Reed is town attorney.
Other year-end business included the approval of the town manager's contract and an encumbrance list.
Jeff Noffsinger's new contract includes a 3 percent wage increase, in keeping with a town ordinance giving all employees the raise, and two weeks vacation time. A residency stipulation existing in old contracts was removed.
Town Clerk Julie Kline presented the encumbrance list, saying that in terms of energy use, the town was under budget for 2005. The extra money can carry over for 2006 utilities. Kline said this encumbrance may be the thing that keeps the town from running out of money earmarked for NIPSCO next November.
In regular meeting business:
• New reserve police officers were sworn in. Jim Smith, Justin Smith and James Roe will begin working as reservists after attending the Indiana Reserve Academy.
• Officer Calvin Klein was honored for 20 years of service to the Syracuse Police Department.
"He's been a good and faithful employee of this police department," Ciriello said, also commenting that he hopes to serve with him another 20 years.
• The hiring of a new full-time police officer was approved. Justin Curtis, a seven-year Winona Lake Police Department reservist, will replace Officer Bob Houser, who resigned. Curtis will start early January and, according to Ciriello, will allow the department to operate with a full staff this summer and early fall, the department's busiest time. He will attend the police academy next fall.
• The board approved the purchase of two EZ-IO drills for the EMS at a total cost of $990 and one new set of fire gear, at a cost of $1,117. The drills are used to drill into bone to insert intravenous drugs in emergencies, when a vein can not be found for a regular IV drip. Currently, the department inserts bone IVs by hand. A third drill will be purchased through funds the EMS raised throughout the year.
• The parks department announced the receipt of $37,000 in grant dollars earmarked for Lakeside Park and the new skatepark. The Dekko Foundation donated $10,000 toward the skatepark. The Harkless Foundation donated $6,000 toward each project and the K21 Foundation donated $15,000 to the Lakeside Park playground.
Board members are Cowan, Stoelting, Larry Siegel, Bill Musser and Brian Wood.
