[0:00] I call the meeting to order and we're
going to start with the pledge of
[0:03] allegiance
[0:06] to the flag of the United States of
America and to the republic for it
[0:12] stands nation
indivisibley
[0:17] and justice for all.
[0:25] We're going to start off the meeting
with public comments from the floor.
[0:29] These are agenda items only. Two minutes
per speaker.
[0:38] » Yes.
>> My name is John Gazill. I'm the new
[0:42] director of the Syracuse uh Turkey Creek
Township Public Library.
[0:48] » Nice to meet y'all. and and I wanted to
say thank you to uh you for having our
[0:54] board member Diana Clark on the agenda
tonight. So, speaking about the agenda
[0:58] item, um the library board is really
supportive of public library here in
[1:03] Syracuse and if it weren't for great
board members, we wouldn't have a great
[1:06] public library. So, thank you.
>> Thank you for introducing yourself.
[1:12] » She's she's still healing trying hard.
[1:19] No.
[1:23] » Did you just get started?
>> I did. It's at the beginning of my
[1:26] second week. Last night was my first
board meeting.
[1:29] » Okay.
>> And my door's always open. If y'all have
[1:32] any questions, please come and see me.
>> You going to miss the drive?
[1:35] » No, I am not. I love 15 minutes is best.
>> That's awesome.
[1:42] » Anyone else?
We're going to move on to approval of
[1:46] minutes. We can do first through the 916
and then the 918
[1:57] to approve
September 16 and September 18. Oh,
[2:03] they're two different agenda items.
Okay. 16.
[2:08] » Do we have a second?
>> Yes. Second. We have a motion and a
[2:15] second to accept the regular meeting
minutes. All
[2:19] » in favor?
[2:22] » I'll make the same motion on September
18.
[2:30] » I think you can still
>> you can still you are still able to
[2:33] vote.
>> So can Ibody?
[2:41] » Okay. Okay, we have a motion to accept
the minutes. Um, and a second. All in
[2:47] favor?
>> Then Virginia, do I sign?
[2:51] » Yes.
[3:01] » Oh, sorry. I just
[3:14] I guess that goes in my
[3:26] » Now we'll move on to agenda number six,
approval.
[3:33] I move to approve sign 88
[3:38] 113
[3:51] » 1123
[3:54] » I'll second
>> Okay, we have a motion to approve the
[3:58] claims.
All in favor?
[4:20] We have an agreement.
[4:25] It doesn't look like we have to take any
[4:30] » agreement.
>> Yeah.
[4:32] » Yeah. Uh yeah, you do have to uh uh
approve that. I don't think I was ready
[4:38] for last year.
>> Okay.
[4:40] » So, you do have to prove it. It is a
standard agreement which provides for
[4:45] Oprah.
[4:49] Excuse me. Doesn't provide for Oprah.
provides for
[4:54] » yeah I couldn't think of the acronym
thank you bill in here too
[4:58] » make to provide the administrative uh
services for management of uh that grant
[5:03] on that project
the language is the same as every other
[5:08] agreement that may sends out to every
other organization or every other town
[5:13] or municipality
>> I'll move to approve
[5:17] » yes I'll move to approve the agreement
for professional brand administrative
[5:21] services
[5:26] and to be signed by
guess our vice president.
[5:34] » We have a second.
We have a
[5:40] motion and a second for the great
professional services.
[5:46] All in favor?
[6:03] We have on the agenda just a gateway
sign discussion and I wish David was
[6:11] here for this discussion. Um,
>> Brett, do you have anything you want to
[6:16] add about the gateway signs?
>> Well, I was Yeah.
[6:21] » Beautif
>> uh I just would like to speak in support
[6:25] of those signs as designed from uh the
gentleman who has his company, marketing
[6:32] company in I believe my lives here at
the lake. Um the intruary signs wide
[6:40] um are expense obviously, but they're
they're really a beautiful entryway
[6:46] signs. Does our community um a fitting
uh salute and tribute to Syracuse and
[6:54] the lakes and what our community means
to our county and our tourism region uh
[6:59] throughout northeast Indiana. And uh so
the chamber is in full support of those
[7:04] designs um
as a a source of community pride even as
[7:11] you enter Syracuse from the north and
the south. So I just wanted to let you
[7:16] know that the chamber uh is fully behind
the entryway signs as designed.
[7:24] » Do we have any other discussion this
time?
[7:29] U I
I I'm not committed to the both signs. I
[7:37] I think I like the way the north sign
looks that they re rehab or whatever
[7:43] they brought up. I think it looks nice.
I I can see some reason on the south
[7:50] side that it might be more visible,
but uh I also think that maybe the
[7:57] gateway discussion should be a full five
person discussion
[8:02] » and David
probably should be here.
[8:06] » Yeah.
>> And so maybe I would move to table that
[8:12] next month.
>> Yeah. And it just says discussion.
[8:15] » Yeah.
>> It doesn't say
[8:18] » it's just a agenda item. So I don't
know. Well, I think
[8:22] » I know they're expensive.
>> We have to Well, that's expensive as it
[8:26] were. We're spending $120,000
on signs of this nature, especially with
[8:32] the cutbacks that are coming
through less tax money coming in. Uh, it
[8:39] would be very hard for me to
[8:44] fall. I like the one on the north. I
know it's old, but I like it. I look at
[8:48] other communities around and they have
the standard rectangular signs that say
[8:54] green whatever and I just can't see
spending that kind of money at this
[9:01] time.
[9:08] I have been on a beautifification
committee with David and
[9:13] Virginia on it. Michelle
[9:19] will
>> Yeah. And um
[9:25] I
I I think it would be a good thing for
[9:29] our town. That's just my opinion. I know
they're expensive, but if they last
[9:35] decades,
then you get your money out of them. Um,
[9:42] I know we're spending a lot of money on
other things that people don't really
[9:45] see and those things are important, but
I think it's
[9:51] just my opinion. I think they would be
an asset for a community. But I do think
[9:57] we should have everybody here and also
hear from David. So, anybody has
[10:03] anything else? Let's move on.
>> Okay.
[10:07] » Okay.
We have in front of us um
[10:12] we need to appoint Diana Clark
if the boards like to to the library
[10:20] board and that's what John was speaking.
[10:25] » Well, she seems to be very happy there.
She's obviously doing a good job.
[10:30] I would like to make the nomination to
add to continue.
[10:37] » Second.
>> Okay, we have a motion in a second to
[10:41] accept Diana Clark
to library board for Syracuse. All in
[10:47] favor?
[11:17] Is that where you want the assignment?
>> Yeah.
[11:24] So now we have our second public hearing
for the 2026 budget and I have to open
[11:32] that again.
[11:38] » Okay, I'd like to open the
[11:43] 2026 budget hearing at this point. Do we
have any comments from the community
[11:49] too? Any
[11:54] comments from
[12:00] any comments from the board?
[12:10] » So then we
vote on this tonight.
[12:17] » Okay.
I'm looking for a motion.
[12:21] » I'll make a motion to adopt ordinance.
[12:29] » Six. We have a motion. Do we have a
second?
[12:33] » Yes.
>> Thank you, Bill. We have a motion and a
[12:35] second
[12:39] for the ordinance or resolution for
appropriations and tax rates for 2026.
[12:45] All in favor?
[12:51] There's
the outside.
[13:07] » We're going to move on to the
Commonwealth Engineering Report.
[13:11] » Robin, is that correct?
>> Yes.
[13:14] » Thank you. I'm Robin Matthews with
Commonwealth Engineers at a conference
[13:19] this week. So, but um I'm mostly do
transportation engineering work for so
[13:25] it's probably appropriate that I'm here.
Um Jeremy did want me to mention that on
[13:30] the water project there at um they've
had their 50% design review this town
[13:36] and um so they're moving towards 90%
completion on their design work on the
[13:41] water project. Um
For the road projects, we're using the
[13:47] CCMG program within that. Um, we came
out early today and observed progress on
[13:54] Boston Street, this year's project. And
then I also have for your review and
[13:58] approval a task order to do the design
work and assistance um with bidding and
[14:04] construction engineering and inepth
coordination for next year's project.
[14:10] Um, hopefully you have that in front of
you. the roads that the town is um
[14:16] looking to do um a resurface at a
minimum. Some of these have a little bit
[14:20] more involvement. Um Kern Road, we're
going to do a little widening the curve.
[14:27] Um Oak Street from Portland's Railroad.
Pittsburgh from Walnut to State Road 13.
[14:35] Front Street from Railroad to Chicago
Street. Sorry, railroad tracks to
[14:40] Chicago Street. Um Henry Street from
Huntington Street to Street, Harrison
[14:48] Street from State Road 13 to the dead
end.
[14:52] Northshore Drive from Long Drive to the
East Town limit. Palm drive from Park
[14:58] Drive to Lakeside Drive. Walnut Street
from Baltimore to Chicago. Parkway Drive
[15:07] from Carol to Henry. Carol Street from
um 013 to dead end and then various
[15:14] alleys as well. Um so what's included in
our scope as I was starting to mention
[15:22] the hourly assistance for the um
application which Mark and I were just
[15:27] discussing that he's going to handle
that for the most part um but we'll
[15:32] assist as needed. Um we've got quite a
bit of survey work to do for the
[15:37] widening on cur. We also have to
identify right away on current there
[15:42] being some county limit involvement. We
need to make sure we do everything in
[15:47] appropriate right away for that. Um and
then there's preliminary design final
[15:52] design bidding assistance put the
project out to bid and then an hourly
[15:58] construction engineering
phase as well to assist. Again Mark do a
[16:04] really good job with that. So our
involvement tends to be minimal but um
[16:09] need to be involved a little bit. So
there's some hour late in that phase. Um
[16:14] and then the schedule is um in here as
well. It's just kind of as needed to get
[16:19] the project done um by the time frames
required by INDOT and so that you can
[16:26] build the project next construction
season which would be next summer.
[16:32] Are there any questions for me?
[16:39] » Yeah.
>> Yes.
[16:41] » Yeah. And INDOT has um
increased the percentage that they pay.
[16:48] So this year it was a 75% to your 25.
Next year or this one we'll be
[16:53] submitting for this month. Um they'll be
matching at 80%. You'll only be paying
[16:58] 20. So you're getting a little more
[17:03] Mark, is there any of this the city
could do themselves?
[17:07] » We are doing all this.
>> This is
[17:11] » we'll do quite a bit of that, but
they'll be available on call if I need
[17:15] help.
>> Okay.
[17:16] » So that we won't be build if if I'm
doing the work.
[17:21] » So this this total that's in here is not
to exceed total.
[17:26] » Correct.
>> Worst case scenario.
[17:29] I move to approve the task order
[17:39] » 142 142,000
>> yeah not to exceed
[17:45] » and again be signed by the vice
president
[17:50] » I'll second it
excuse me
[17:55] we have a
recommendation and then a second.
[18:00] » So for the task order,
>> yes,
[18:02] » that Robin just kind of outlined for us
and it was in your packet.
[18:06] » All in favor?
[18:10] » Do you have anything else to share with
us?
[18:24] Virginia, did David leave anything
except anything different than what's in
[18:29] that package?
>> Did you have I don't know. You have
[18:32] questions about David's package. I guess
we'll have to check with him when he
[18:37] gets back. I have questions.
[18:42] We'll move on to police.
>> All right.
[18:46] » Jim,
>> is there any questions over my report?
[18:51] » I didn't have any.
[18:58] » Um,
you didn't get
[19:03] » Oh, gotcha. Got
the 2018 police car, is that your next
[19:10] car up to be
[19:29] Uh, car nine. Yes, that'd be the next
one up.
[19:34] » Which car?
>> Which car? Nine?
[19:35] » Yeah, nine with 102,000. 56 miles. Car
10 is our spare card.
[19:42] » What about two? Why is 942?
>> Two is uh one of the pickups.
[19:51] » And it it seems to be going well still.
>> Um
[19:58] but the cars, they're the ones we've
been having getting frequent issues with
[20:03] now that they're getting up there in
age. We've replaced think three.
[20:11] is for next year. You're replacing this
next year.
[20:15] » Yeah.
[20:24] And then possibly looking at car five.
It's
[20:30] just right about 10 years old.
[20:42] Yeah, the pickups they seem to be doing
a little bit better. I mean, they're not
[20:46] it's the detectives and me detective I
[20:53] seem to last pretty well.
So in all you're proposing or you're
[21:01] going to propose in the future that the
car number nine be replaced.
[21:06] » Yes. For vehicle license.
[21:12] » I have no other questions.
[21:18] » Um the only other thing I have is the
2026 terminal service data agreement
[21:24] with the county.
for approval of it for $5,790.75.
[21:31] That's the yearly um
agreement for us to access the equipment
[21:39] to access
NCIC
[21:43] and
fire computers.
[21:48] I move to approve the interlocal
agreement between county
[21:58] $5,790.75.
[22:02] » We have a motion. Do we have a second?
>> Second.
[22:06] » All in favor?
That was for the interlocal agreement.
[22:12] Other
than that, um, that's all I have as far
[22:16] as police. Um, ADA, no complaints.
[22:23] » Thank you.
[22:40] » Parks does
[22:43] here. They're always busy this time of
year.
[22:50] You have any questions? I guess we'll
go to public works.
[22:58] » Any questions on my report?
[23:05] » Probably seen a lot of activity around
town.
[23:09] I was just reading all the stuff back
here
[23:14] company.
[23:19] » Yeah,
>> of course.
[23:24] Part of the job.
>> Yeah.
[23:26] » In December of 2023 and January of 2024,
we were working with Verier Midwest to
[23:34] get a backer trailer for the street
department. It's for hydro excavating.
[23:41] Lot safer than running a back hole in
many circumstances.
[23:46] Perfect for putting in a side.
So we it's one of our most use
[23:52] existing trail. So in 2023
we
[24:01] agreed to a purchase from Verier
and they still have not with that
[24:08] machine.
So, their communication skills
[24:14] are are lacking. Um,
>> where are they out of
[24:19] » Portland?
[24:23] Like me and uh so we have called many
times. Paul Hoffman and I have reached
[24:30] out many times to get the status of this
machine. We've been put off. Um they
[24:36] raised the price on in the middle of the
agreeing.
[24:39] So,
two weeks ago,
[24:45] three weeks ago, I told them they can
keep their beautiful machine.
[24:50] So, Paul had looked had been looking
extensively for a unit that would not
[24:56] require a CDL and he found one that is
actually a self-contained truck very
[25:01] similar to the back truck that the sewer
department uses. Um this is a
[25:07] self-contained unit just drive it and
because of that it's lighter than a
[25:12] truck trailer combo it does not require
a C drive. So that big cluster of tongue
[25:18] there.
So my request is
[25:23] since I have vacated the PO liquidated
the purchase order for the original
[25:29] piece of equipment we have that money is
available. However, this machine because
[25:34] it is a truck is more expensive.
The difference is $52,500.
[25:42] So, I would I would would request to use
the encumbered money for the original
[25:46] purchase plus the $52,500
from new street equipment count for40.
[25:52] We have a balance of $140,000
there. So, for a total of $279,500
[26:03] We get this machine for
>> And how soon can you get that machine?
[26:07] » Two weeks.
>> It is a waiting two years.
[26:12] » It's a demo. They've had it in town.
They will give us a new machine warranty
[26:17] on it.
Our crew has actually ran actually used
[26:22] to see if it was something that we were
now fell in love with.
[26:28] So my request is for
$279,500
[26:34] from ground equipment. Just question.
Did you have a signed agreement with
[26:40] them for $186,47?
[26:45] They violated the terms of that
agreement by putting us off for almost
[26:49] two years.
>> I mean, I'm just wondering if you could
[26:52] have enforced that.
Well, you still can.
[26:56] » But I mean, I know you said that this is
a better deal all in all, but it is.
[27:01] » If they signed an agreement that said
they provide something for 186, I think
[27:05] they probably stuck with that agreement.
It's not even built yet.
[27:09] » Yeah. Well, the the thing is if you
enter a contract with somebody or
[27:14] whatever item might be and they've
reached the contract, which is fair to
[27:17] say they've reached that, you have to go
buy it from a another supplier at a
[27:22] higher price. Your damages are the
difference between what you contracted
[27:26] with them originally and the higher
price, which if I'm following your math,
[27:30] seems like it's about 52,000 bucks.
>> 52,500.
[27:33] » Yeah.
>> Right. Well,
[27:36] » it's an upgrade.
>> I you've got to purchase what might be
[27:41] available out there.
>> So, in theory, you could pursue them
[27:45] contractually for that. If you decided
you wanted to, I don't know, hire an
[27:48] attorney to file a lawsuit, you'd have
the opportunity to do that. Whether you
[27:52] want to do that for that kind of money,
I I don't know.
[27:56] » That's a discussion we can have.
>> Yeah.
[27:59] » But you have to get But that wouldn't
keep us from approving.
[28:02] » Oh, I keep you from doing this at all.
No,
[28:05] » we're actually coming out.
>> Yeah. Well, then then I make a motion to
[28:12] um
I guess allow you to
[28:21] for this demo hydro state
and for delivery of this vehicle
[28:29] in the next two weeks.
[28:36] » Do we have a motion? Do we have a
second?
[28:39] » I think I'll second that.
>> Thank you.
[28:43] » We have a motion for the demo hydro
quote
[28:48] and all in favor.
[28:53] » Thank you. And that's all I have unless
there's questions.
[28:59] » Yes. Um, you have been presented with
the 2026 water and wastewater budget.
[29:07] And if there's any questions on that, I
would be glad to answer because we have
[29:13] shifted funds around and kept the
increases to an absolute min.
[29:25] » I didn't really have any questions.
>> And I looked it over and I thought the
[29:31] increases were very reasonable as well.
probably totally in line with the cost
[29:37] of living we all we have to endure.
Do we have to bring the waste for you?
[29:46] » You could
[29:58] move to approve the waste water and
water
[30:04] 26 proposed budgets.
I'll second.
[30:09] All
>> in favor?
[30:18] Thank you.
[30:22] » You guys have any questions about our
report?
[30:26] » Uh the only thing come before this
council is we need approval to purchase
[30:30] the firefighter turnout gear up to
$5,000 from Conway Shields. That will
[30:34] come from the 2025 equipment budget.
It's for a new firefighter that we
[30:38] hired. As you know, I'll be retired at
the end of the year. So, somebody else
[30:42] will be coming. So, we've already moved
forward with that.
[30:45] » So, we need appropriate purchase here.
>> How much was it?
[30:49] » Up to $5,000 from Conways.
>> Okay. I'll make that motion.
[30:54] » I'll sub that motion.
>> All right. We have up to $5,000 of
[30:59] firefighter.
>> Not to exceed.
[31:01] » Not to exceed.
>> Yes, we have a motion and a second. All
[31:06] in favor?
[31:09] I have
[31:26] » I saw the information for November
meeting.
[31:29] » Yeah.
[31:32] » Oh, and then the ordinance
appropriation that um to review and that
[31:40] it will be advertised between
[31:52] » Thank you.
[31:57] » That's what this is.
[32:04] » Okay. only thing Dave asked me to bring
to you to make sure that you've already
[32:09] taken care of which is agreement.
[32:17] » Thank you.
>> Do we have any public comments from the
[32:21] floor on nonaggenda items?
>> Thank you. I forgot to mention we do
[32:26] have a battalion chief Robert Kinky will
be retiring at at the end of this month
[32:31] October the 31st and we will have a
retirement with Colton House for him at
[32:36] our station one on November the 7th
which is a Friday from 4 to 7 p.m. He
[32:41] has been with our department for 35
years.
[32:45] » What was his name again?
>> Robert Tinki. He's battalion chief.
[32:49] » 4 to 7
>> 4 to 7 p.m. at our station one. Yes. Can
[32:52] you remind us?
>> I can't.
[32:56] Okay. Thank you.
[Music]
[33:02] » Thank you.
>> All business
[33:13] to
have a motion to
[33:26] It's a spelling question,
>> so it's not a big sad thing.