Tax Abatement For RV Parts Maker Approved At Syracuse
Tax Abatement For RV Parts Maker Approved At Syracuse
Posted
Mark Howe-mhowe@timesuniononline.com
Tax Abatement For RV Parts Maker Approved At Syracuse SYRACUSE – A tax abatement was approved by the Syracuse Town Council at its monthly meeting Tuesday night.
The tax abatement was granted to Driven Innovations, 300 E. Chicago St. The schedule for the abatement calls for 100 percent of the assessed value of the property to be exempt from real property taxes in the first year, with the percentage dropping 10 percent each year for a decade.
The company makes parts for the RV industry.
The council also approved an additional appropriation from a matching grant from the Indiana Department of Transportation for $255,438.32 and added to the milling and road overlay project fund. Council members also approved a fund for police to get information from confidential informants.
In his town manager’s report, Henry DeJulia said a committee has been formed to look into funding mechanisms for much-needed repairs to the town’s flood control dam. He said he hoped to have a total analysis in a month or so.
DeJulia also said that three of the four buildings in the Syracuse Technology Park, north of U.S. 6 on Ind. 15, are complete and ready for occupancy, He added equipment should be moving in soon, and companies are hiring. “So it is bringing jobs to Syracuse,” he said.
Police Chief Jim Layne introduced Cody Leer as the newest patrol officer and Ken Troutman as the town’s new code enforcement officer. Leer was sworn in Tuesday night by Town Clerk Paula Kehr-Wicker.
Layne asked the council to appropriate up to $6,000 for a used vehicle for Troutman to use. The previous car used by the position was beyond reasonable repair and was traded in toward a new police cruiser, according to Layne. The council approved the purchase.
The chief encouraged all Interra Credit Union customers to keep an eye on their accounts, as many had been hacked recently.
Layne also said trick-or-treat hours will be 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 31.
Parks Superintendent Chad Jonsson said a donation was made to place a new sign in front of the community center. It will have an LED readerboard that adjusts to the amount of sunlight.
Public Works Superintendent Rob Merchant asked the council to approve up to $59,463 for components to upgrade the town’s chlorine system. The new system will use chlorine, rather than the town produce its own. The council approved the expenditure for the system, which should be installed by year’s end. Merchant is putting off painting the inside of a water tower until next year to pay for the system.
A stormwater sewer was cleaned out on Chicago Street near Rinker Boats after a recent storm caused flooding in the area. Merchant also said a sanitary sewer manhole was located in a swampy area between McDonald’s and the American Legion lodge on South Huntington Street. A road has been built to reach the manhole, and modifications will need to be made to prevent flooding issues there.
Merchant told the council the town’s sewer ordinance needs to be reworked to reflect current standards and language, and it would be easier to draw up a new ordinance than modify the existing one. The council agreed.
Fire Chief Mickey Scott said the department has held off taking delivery of a new truck because it didn’t meet specifications. “When you spend $280,000 on a vehicle, it needs to be right when you take it,” he said.
He said the town’s tornado sirens were tested and all were operational. Scott said some people complain that they can’t hear sirens indoors, but to fix that would blow out windows in structures under the sirens. “There’s just nothing we can do about that. People will need to be aware,” he said.
Fire hoses were tested, and some that are 25 years old failed.
Council President Bill Musser said that if people continue to use Goodwill donation boxes as a dump site, he will ask to have them removed. He said he spoke with Goodwill truck drivers, and they told him “30 to 40 percent of donations left out of the box go straight to the dump.”
The next Syracuse Town Council meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Oct. 16.
