Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
SILVER LAKE - The old draw-the-name-out-of-a-hat trick was used to select the council president Tuesday night, with Donna McCune's name pulled out of a resident's borrowed hat by town marshal Craig Hollopeter.
McCune, a Republican, joins two other new members, Gail Owens, a Libertarian, and Brenda Wadkins, a Democrat. This is the only council in the state to have all three political parties represented, Owens said.
The members, who have been attending meetings, got right down to business hearing from Mr. and Mrs. David Abbott regarding utility bills and a water deposit.
Abbott owns the building at 102 S. Jefferson and said the November utility bill for water and sewer was $50. The building, he said, has only a sink and toilet using water. The December bill was more than $80 and shows 6,600 gallons of water used. The January billing shows 440 gallons used and Abbott requested a new meter be installed and the bills reduced.
Shalley said he would install a new meter Wednesday.
Abbott also owns four buildings which are used as one - 101, 103 and 105 N. Jefferson - and it has one sewer line, one water line and one water meter, installed at 105 N. Jefferson, yet he receives three separate bills.
Abbott also said a $75 hookup fee was paid in cash when Fern Strong was clerk. A receipt, Abbott claimed, was never received.
Wadkins, who is the deputy town clerk, said there are no records of such a payment.
The council decided the $75 hookup fee was due from the Abbotts unless a receipt could be produced.
Later in the meeting clerk Teresa Howell said Strong, with whom she worked for nine years, was never too busy to give a receipt, and would have insisted on writing one for a cash payment.
Fireman Rob Clark said two quotes would be presented for electrical fixture installation in the fire station at the next meeting.
Utility manager Phil Shalley reported that a release from the sewage pond was planned and would continue for a month.
Four new tires would be installed on a town pickup truck.
Shalley said the air-vacuum pumps have arrived and should be installed soon.
Hollopeter said six deputy marshal applications have been received and he expects to hire someone by the end of the month.
Resident Linda Zimmer said her toilet flushes every morning at 5 a.m. when the vacuum kicks on and she would like to have this situation corrected. Shalley said he would look into the matter again Wednesday.
In other business:
• The board set the second Tuesday of each month as the regular meeting day, retaining the 7 p.m. start time.
• Signed Resolution 2000-01-01 for execution of documents identifying the three council members responsible for town business.
• Heard from Howell that the trash contract ends in March and the bidding process should be advertised soon.
• Wadkins signed a possible conflict of interest document because she works in the clerk's office.
• Former council member Mabel Enyeart was in the audience and she asked whether the Triad bill had been resolved.
At the December meeting adviser Bob Murphy of R.P. Murphy and associates indicated the engineering firm's bill was $75,800, showing 199-1/2 work days at $421.67 per day.
According to the original proposal and contract terms, payment for services was not to exceed $50,600 for 170 days of work at $281 per day.
The issue is with town attorney Mike Reed.
• Silver Lake resident Rex Boxtell informed the board that representatives from the Historical Landmark Association of South Bend and Warsaw will tour a former inn he recently purchased which is on the National Register of Historic Places.
