Cody Mangus is sworn in during his promotion from probationary firefighter to EMS Chief during the Turkey Creek Township’s Advisory Board meeting held Oct. 13. Attorney Steve Snyder lead Mangus in taking the oath. Photo by Lauren Zeugner.

By Lauren Zeugner
InkFreeNews

SYRACUSE —  Attorney Steve Snyder had the honor of swearing in Cody Mangus from probationary firefighter to EMS chief at the start of the Turkey Creek Township Advisory Board’s regular meeting Monday night, Oct. 13.

The board held the second reading of the 2026 budget and moved to adopt it.

The board moved to approve several motions for the Turkey Creek Fire Territory to move funds from one line item to another.

The board approved moving the following funds: moving $5,000 from fuel and oil to garage and motors; Moving $10,000 from medical supplies to all others; and moving $7,500 from administrative services to equipment repairs in the 2025 Turkey Creek Fire Territory operation’s budget.

Matt Dunithan, advisory board president, asked if the township or fire territory was responsible for repairing or replacing damaged hydrants. Fire Chief Mickey Scott explained, per Indiana Code, the hydrants belong to the fire department and it was responsible for repairs.

Scott noted a lake hydrant needed repairs. He will reach out to Middlebury Electric, which initially installed the hydrants, about getting an estimate on the repairs.

Discussion turned to the fire department credit card. Currently, the card has Turkey Creek Fire Territory and Scott’s name on it. Dunithan asked if the credit card could be set up to state Turkey Creek Township and Turkey Creek Fire Territory on it. Attorney Steve Snyder said he didn’t think the bank would go for that. Township Trustee Joe Cazier said he would do some checking.

Dunithan brought up the motion Corky Wong made in the fire territory board meeting to name the training facility after Scott.The proposal needs to be approved by the township board and Syracuse Town Council.

Dunithan also sought input from the firefighters who were present at the meeting. They agreed to naming the facility after Scott. The township board approved the proposal.

In the trustee report, Joe Cazier, township trustee, said he received a call from county officials looking at low-speed internet spots. The only area in Turkey Creek Township is in the northeastern corner.

Cazier said he was asked to check with those households to see if they were interested in high speed internet. Dunithan objected to the township trustee being asked to drum up business for local internet providers.

“It’s not right,” he said, noting Cazier had better things to do.

Scott provided an update on several projects with the fire department.The new 2026 Sutphen Fire Engine is still scheduled for completion and delivery no later than Aug. 22.

North American Drilling Inc. came out to the training facility to calibrate the electric well pump and to set the pressure for the pressurized filling outlets near the training facility. The concrete pad around the training tower has been completed by Thompson Concrete.

Construction of the new Sutphen Aerial is still on schedule for delivery between mid-January and end of February 2026.

Discussion turned to an issue at the Shock easement on the east end of Lake Wawasee. Board member John Heckaman reported a boat lift was dropped at the water’s edge at the easement where it stayed for two days before it was moved to behind a lake hydrant so it wasn’t in the way.

Heckaman eventually impounded it and has been checking with local pier companies about what they know about it. Heckaman said the boat lift was left in such a manner it would have impeded first responders from launching any boats in case of an emergency on the lake.

Dunithan asked Snyder to weigh in on the legality of the matter. Snyder said the matter amounts to trespassing as no one is allowed to store anything in a public easement.

Snyder advised Heckaman to send a bill to the township for impounding and storing the boat lift and the township can pass the bill onto the offenders once they are found.