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SYRACUSE - Computers are vital to the functioning of many segments of society and the Syracuse Police Department will update its computers to be more functional in the community.
The Syracuse town council approved the police department paying $850 to install a phone line in February for the IDEX system. The department will also pay $375 for a special modem, $325 for software and $275 for a computer card. An additional $1,195 will go for the purchase of a computer. The system will allow the police department to be hooked up directly to IDEX.
IDEX allows a quick license check and immediate receipt of information from Indianapolis on an individual when they are pulled over by the police. The police will also be able to do a records check and check on stolen items.
"We put it in the budget last year for this year," Police Chief William Endler said.
Endler then asked the council for an additional $6,000 to buy four new computers.
"We're to the point where our computers can't be updated," he said.
The new computers will be up to speed for 2000 and the department will be able to install Windows 95 or 98 in them. The current four computers don't have enough memory to do so, Endler said.
"They're the best you can buy at this time," he said.
The council was cautionary in approving the purchase of four new computers. Council members wanted to be certain that the money was available in the budget to purchase them. Endler said it was with an appropriation from a phone lines budget to the new equipment budget.
The computers were approved by the council by a vote of four to one. Councilman Carol Koble opposed the purchase.
In other news, Town Manager Matt Vigneault offered two options to the council about the finish work of Benton Street. Options included a split rail fence, making the intersection a four-way stop, and prohibiting parking on both sides.
"This proposal would make a nice, friendly means of accessing the lake," Vigneault said of the proposal that included the split rail fence.
The difference with the other option was that it included parking for four vehicles. One option, that was not approved, was for a pier to be put in at the end of the road for fishing.
"I'm personally against us putting a pier out there for fishing for the public," Koble said.
Vigneault stressed that a pier was only an option.
The council approved the split-rail fence, the four-way stop, and the no parking signs on the road. Cars that park on the street will be towed at their owners' expense.
"Option one doesn't show a great deal of maintenance," Vigneault said.
When the council opened the meeting up later for public discussion, Bill Todd voiced his objection about the work being done on Benton Street. He said he has only lived in the community for about three months and did not understand why the work was being done to the area without him knowing about it.
"I'm not sure what I heard tonight will solve my problems," Todd said.
Todd said he was getting less than what he bought and now he couldn't park there. Vigneault said he would explain to Todd why the council was doing what it was doing after the meeting adjourned.
"There's a long history there," Councilman Barbara Carwile said.
