Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
SYRACUSE - To refund the Waterworks Revenue Bonds of 1977, the Syracuse Town Council unanimously approved two agreements and an ordinance Tuesday.
First was an employment agreement between the town and Bingham-McHale, attorneys at law. Under the contract, the attorneys will serve as bond counsel for the town for the refunding at a cost not to exceed $15,000. Expenses, such as travel costs, photocopying, deliveries, long-distance telephone charges and other fees also will be paid for by the town. Sue Beesley, representing the law firm, said expenses usually never exceed $500.
Town attorney Mike Reed said the contract is "pretty standard."
Under the second agreement, H.J. Umbaugh & Associates is contracted to provide accounting services for refunding the outstanding 1977 bonds. The town will pay $8,500 for services and expenses.
Jeffrey P. Rowe, of H.J. Umbaugh & Associates, said with the refunding, the town may see a possible savings of $25,000.
Third, the town council approved the ordinance to refund the 1977 bonds.
Rowe said refunding the existing bonds would benefit the town because the new bonds would be less restrictive.
In other business, the town council:
• Approved to advertise for an additional appropriation for $250,000 for cumulative storm sewer improvements.
• Approved $184,000 out of wastewater and water depreciation funds to help fund phase two of the Ind. 13 utilities service project to provide water and sewer service to the area north of CR 1200N, south of Palm Drive, and west of Ind. 13.
• Approved for the park fund to borrow $60,000 from the cumulative capital improvement-property tax fund. This temporary loan will be repaid as soon as the property taxes are received. Because of the delay of the property tax distribution this year, the park fund will be short without the loan.
• Approved the quick-claim deed for the wall north of Pickwick Square behind the theater. Money to pay for improvements to the wall that fell will come out of the cigarette tax. Cost will be approximately $24,000 and the fund balance of the cigarette tax is approximately $79,929.95.
• Heard a mock disaster drill will be held in Syracuse April 17 from approximately 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Medusa Street will be heavily affected. A roundtable discussion on the drill will be March 25 in the town hall at 7 p.m.
• Heard the street department plans to pick up in April where it left off last year with sidewalk projects, weather permitting. Any residents interested should contact Clint Houseworth at the street department.
• Approved Bill Wight, Bill Musser and Scott Abbs to serve another term on the Syracuse Community Center Building Corp. board.
• Approved Dave VanLue and Peter Barrett as new park board members.
• Discussed spring cleanup week and its contract with Ameri-Waste, Claypool, who wants to make some changes for the cleanup this year.
The council decided to allow only four of the six changes proposed. Redshaw will notify Ameri-Waste of the accepted and non-accepted changes.
Members of the town council are chairman Larry Siegel, Brian Woody, Brian Antonides, Paul Stoelting and Cassie Cowan. They meet at 7 p.m. in the town hall on the third Tuesday of every month.
