After another heated debate between the North Syracuse Fire Department and the village board, the board approved the purchase of Engine 6 Thursday night. For about 20 minutes, fire Chief Mark Hogan and Mayor John Heindorf exchanged words back and forth to each other, trying to prove their points. Hogan criticized Mayor Heindorf for consulting Boston-based MAA Consultants, who said that the specifics could be reviewed and returned within a week for $800. Hogan argued that the board was made aware of the need to purchase a new engine two years ago, and any consultations should have been made then. “Shouldn’t you have done that two years ago, and jumped through the hoops back then as opposed to jumping through them now?” he asked the board. Heindorf said in response, “The fact of the matter is, it’s good business.”
Hogan said once again that hiring consultants was a waste of his time and taxpayers’ money. The price of a new engine has since risen by two to five percent, due to the board’s delay of approving the purchase, he said. The current price for a new engine is estimated to be $450,000. “What we’re looking at is, a $20,000 price increase because of the delay we’re running into,” Hogan argued. “We’ve shown you and everybody on the board that we have sound, fiscal planning. We don’t just arbitrarily come up with things.” Heindorf told Hogan several times that he was taking the board’s decision personally. “It’s not a personal thing,” he told Hogan. “Let me ask you this did you hired consultants to purchase a dump truck or plow trucks? What abut the bobcats they use to water the plants down Route 11?” Hogan asked the board, clearly frustrated. “You’re singling out the fire department.” “You’re 100 percent wrong,” Heindorf interrupted. “We’re just trying to make sure that our decision is absolutely credible.” “Mayor, let me make my point!” Hogan repeated several times. A member of the fire department in the audience quietly motioned to Hogan to calm down. “You’re taking it the wrong way, Mark, that’s all I can say,” Heindorf said. Seconds after the argument between the two finished, board member Gary Butterfield made a motion to approve the Engine 6 specifics and go ahead with the purchase. Butterfield had met previously with Hogan for a few hours to go over the 100-page manual of Engine 6 specs and approved the committee’s work. Heindorf seconded the motion. The whole board approved the proposal, and will set a bid date at a later date. The next village board meeting is set for 4:30 p.m. July 24.
Appointments made
At its annual meeting Monday July 7, the village made the following appointments:
Deputy Mayor Diane Browning
Deputy Village Clerk — one year term — Denise Papa
Historian- Robert Henry
Animal Control Officer — Earlene (Pat) Foisia
Director of Parks and Recreation — Teresa Roth
Codes Enforcement Officer — Philip Drury
DPW Superintendent — Gary Wilmer
Police Chief — Thomas Connelly
Signatories — Village Clerk Nancy Fortin and Treasurer Dianne Kufel
Attorney — The Wladis Law Firm, PC
Engineer — James Trasher of Clough, Harbour and Associates
Official Newspapers — Eagle Newspapers and Post Standard
Depositors — M&T Bank, Key Bank, JP Morgan Chase, Solvay Bank
Official Insurance Agency — Ladd’s Insurance
Village Auditors — Koagel & Vincentini, CPA’s
Acting Village Justice — William Bradt
Court Clerk- Cindy Goodman
Board Meeting Dates- Second Thursday of each month at 7:30 p.m. and Fourth Thursday of each month at 4:30 p.m. at the Community Center, unless otherwise noted Investment Policy — same as last year
Planning Commission Members — 3 years — Jack Wilbur and Vera Desimone
Planning Commission Alternate — 1 year – Toby Heath
ZBA Members — 5 years — Louis Alteri
ZBA Alternate — 1 year — Jim Frezza
Housing Authority Members — 5 year term- Ernest Wass
Mileage Reimbursement — Federal Rate IRS – .585 per mile
Board liaisons
Zoning Board of Appeals — Trustee Gary Butterfield
Planning Commission — Trustee Chuck Henry
Public Safety — Trustee Mark Atkinson
Parks — Trustee Gary Butterfield
Sprinkler Review Board — Trustee Chuck Henry
Clubs and Organizations — Mayor John Heindorf
Chamber of Commerce — Trustee Diane Browning
Senior Advocate — Trustee Diane Browning
Public Safety Committee Members
Trustee Mark Atkinson
Police Chief Thomas Connelly
Ray Sharp
Codes Enforcement Officer Philip Drury
Charlotte LaPorte
Fire Chief Mark Hogan
Jack Gaiser
Parks Director Teresa Roth
DPW Superintendent Gary Wilmer
Disaster Plan Committee members
Trustee Mark Atkinson
Deputy Mayor Diane Browning
Charlotte LaPorte
Christ Bitner of NAVAC
Fire Chief Mark Hogan
Codes Enforcement Officer Philip Drury
Police Chief Thomas Connelly
Michael Janisch of North Syracuse Schools Transportation Department
MS-4 — STORMWATER COMPLIANCE COMMITTEE
Chairman of Planning Commission Joan Walsh
Codes Enforcement Officer Philip Drury
Village Attorney Heather Cole
Village Engineer James Trasher/Kristy Harris
Village Clerk Nancy Fortin
Village Treasurer Dianne Kufel
DPW Superintendent Gary Wilmer
The village also set a date for Annual Public Comments on MS4 Annual Report (the second meeting in May as per recommendation at May 10, 2007 board meeting). That date will be May 28, 2009.