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Silver Lake Seeks Funds For New Fire Station
BY MATTHEW WEIGELT, Times-Union Staff Writer
SILVER LAKE -ÊCommunity members packed the town meeting hall Tuesday as the town council discussed building a five-bay fire station.
Robert Murphy, owner of R.P. Murphy and Associates, Larwill, a consulting firm offering to write grants for towns, cities and counties, agreed to seek $450,000 in available federal funds and $200,000 in local matching money.
No one in the hall was opposed to the action.
Murphy said it is "very important to have the support of the community."
In other business, the council:
• Heard apologies from Wayne Kistler, owner of Bowman's Landing.
Kistler said he "didn't do enough research" and misunderstood a ruling based on a Silver Lake ordinance about trailer conditions.
"I know you don't want Silver Lake to turn into eastern Kentucky," Kistler said to the council.
Kistler was granted permission to bring a mobile home, not currently meeting the town's ordinance standards, into the lot for a permanent residence. The council will require Kistler to upgrade the trailer's outside.
• Heard that Bowman's Landing, which bought out of a bankruptcy, looks "100 percent better than the last owner," said one lake area community member.
The recently annexed lake is under Silver Lake's ordinances.
• Fielded a question from Marie Rose about the council members, Gale Owens and Donna McCune, not speaking as often as the town's full-time employees, council president Brenda Wadkins, Sliver Lake marshal Craig Hollopeter and Howell.
"Them three work for the town," said a community member. "They're paid by us, they should have more say-so."
Wadkins disagreed that a full-time employee should have more say-so but the employees would know more details about issues. Hence, they share their opinions and readily answer questions, she said.
Rose said she was nominated as spokeswoman for a few people who wouldn't ask the council themselves.
Silver Lake Town Council members are: president Brenda Wadkins, Gale Owens, Donna McCune and clerk-treasurer Teresa Howell. Phil Shally is town superintendent.
