Syracuse Town Council members Larry Siegel, left, and Council President Bill Musser chat while Paul Stoelting and Town Attorney Vern Landis share a laugh before the start of the council’s August meeting Tuesday night, Aug. 21.

SYRACUSE — Syracuse Town Council received several updates on infrastructure projects during its regular monthly meeting held Tuesday night, Aug., 21.

The town approved transferring $38,228.70 from the local road and bridge matching grant fund to the motor vehicle highway fund and $1,413.03 from the local road and bridge matching grant fund to the local road and street fund for paving work.

Jeremy Hardy of Commonwealth Engineers Inc., the town’s engineering firm, told the council many of the sidewalks on the streets the town wants to pave through a state grant are in poor shape. The grant allows for sidewalk work if the roads are also going to be worked on. Total cost of the sidewalk work would be $80,000 with the town being responsible for $20,000 if the grant is awarded.

The council approved amending the grant proposal to include sidewalk work.

In his department report Town Manager Henry DeJulia noted the rail spur at SR 13 will be removed shortly after Labor Day. SR 13 will be closed for two days while the railroad completes that work.

Indiana Department of Transportation will hold a public meeting at 6 p.m. Aug. 29, in the cafeteria of Wawasee High School, about roundabouts at SR 13 and US 6.

Public Works Superintendent Robin Merchant told the town he is still working on confirming sewer hookups in Oakwood Park and sump pump hookups on Medusa Street.

Line painting on Harkless Street has been removed and will be redone.

Hardy told the council the chlorine system at the wastewater treatment plant needs to be replaced as the metering pumps aren’t doing the job and the software needs to be upgraded. Commonwealth will review the quotes it received from Living Waters to see if they are still correct and come back next month seeking approval to replace the system.

Tina Wolff of KoKosing, the company that did the work on the wastewater treatment plant reviewed where there is savings for the project. During the project it was determined Northern Indiana Public Service Co. installed the wrong type of meter for the plant, which means KoKosing currently doesn’t have the incremental information it needs to show energy savings.

A new meter was installed in April and a review of May through July NIPSCO bills should be able to see what effect the repairs to the plant have on electrical use. Merchant told the council he is already seeing a decrease in electrical use at the plant.

Already two rebate checks have been sent to the town from NIPSCO. Wolff said another should be around $63,195 after the oxidation ditches are both online.

The council approved a tax abatement for TC Commercial Properties Inc./Driven Innovations LLC which supplies the RV industry with steel products and does steel fabrication. A public hearing on the matter will be held next month with a confirmatory resolution.

Chief Jim Layne reported Officer Kyle Denton has accepted a position with the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department. His last day with the Syracuse Police Department is Aug. 30.

The council approved the Turkey Creek Fire Territory spending $300,000 from the equipment budget for building projects at both fire stations. The vote was four in favor and one abstaining.