Syracuse Town Manager Mike Noe, left, and Chad Jonsson, park superintendent, share a laugh before the May 2019 meeting of the Syracuse Town Council.

SYRACUSE — Mike Noe, Syracuse town manager, said his first year as town manager and public utility manager has been one of growth. In a recent interview, Noe said it took a while for him to settle into the job as town manager.

Having been the public utility manager for North Webster, that job was easier to slide into.

“I feel more comfortable,” he said. “It felt overwhelming in the beginning … I have some really good supervisors (in public works) and I don’t think they’ve been allowed to manage their department before.”

During his first year in Syracuse, Noe pushed for continuing education within the public works department, saying he wants certified operators. Several have attended schools and received certifications since Noe came to Syracuse.

He also made changes so the town manager’s job fit him better. Virginia Cazier was named assistant to public works and the town manager. He’s been working with the Syracuse-Wawasee Chamber of Commerce on beautifying downtown Syracuse.

His first year was also learning on the fly as the town addressed several lawsuits. Noe also acknowledged the town manager’s position, “is a bit political and the buck stops here.” Another new aspect of the town manager’s job is dealing with budgets.

Noe gave a lot of credit to the town’s employees. “The employees make my job easy,” he said.

His goal for this year is working hard to bring more jobs to Syracuse, which means finding more affordable housing in the area is also a goal. He’s looking at ways to help the town grow. “It’s been a challenge, but a nice challenge.”

As his comfort level in the job increases, Noe hopes to become more involved in the community. Bids were recently opened for the town’s community crossing grant which is a good thing as Noe noted a lot of the town’s streets need work. There has also been increased interest in the technology park located north of town.

Noe is also working on another grant to address issues with the road leading to PolyWood.

Regarding the child care issue in Syracuse, Noe said the child care committee is increasing in membership and recently an anonymous donor gave $25,000 to assist Little Lambs Preschool to open a second location. In the meanwhile, the committee will continue to address the issue.

Noe said there are a lot of good things going on in town economically. The next big challenge is to bring more affordable housing, homes in the $160,000 range, to the area.