SILVER LAKE - Questions concerning the service hours and the contract with Multi-Township EMS were discussed Tuesday night by the Silver Lake Town Council with the entity's new administrator.
Scott Sigerfoos, who took over as the administrator of Multi-Township EMS Jan. 1, attended the council meeting Tuesday to discuss the town's contract with the ambulance service.
Sigerfoos said the ambulance service in Silver Lake was reduced from 24 hours to 16 hours per day due to cost concerns. The ambulance is in Silver Lake from about 8:30 a.m. to about 11:30 p.m. The rest of the time it is parked in Warsaw.
"Basically, as with everything, money is tight," Sigerfoos said, adding that the service was facing a $170,000 deficit this year if cuts were not made.
According to Town Clerk Angie Glass, no one informed the town that the ambulance service was cutting back hours.
"We just want to understand what is happening," Glass said.
When the ambulance service began its contract with Silver Lake, the town's fire department gave up the kitchen, restrooms and office space in its building to accommodate the full-time EMS service. A bay area also was constructed for the ambulance. In return, Multi-Township agreed to pay a portion of the utilities for the building.
Town Council President Gale Owens suggested that if the ambulance service is not going to be in the building 24 hours a day, then the firefighters should get their training room and other areas back.
Sigerfoos, who was not in charge when the hours were cut, apologized for the lack of communication by previous administrators.
The council decided to table any action on the contract until they can speak further with Sigerfoos as well as the fire department. The issue will be revisited in February.
Also, the town approved an ordinance to change the zoning of the Silver Lake School from public use to commercial use. Mike Baur, new owner of the school, said he hopes to improve the building by adding a couple of apartments. Eventually, he would like to see other things in the building as well. Some ideas that have been suggested are a bed and breakfast, a library, storage areas or retail areas.
Baur's goal for now is to get at least one tenant in the building so it's not empty. But for now, the building will remain empty until someone comes in with a concrete proposal for its use.
"This building has a ton of potential," Baur said.
In other business, the council:
n Approved a quote from H&H, Akron, to repair and update the electrical wiring Station 2. The motion was approved pending a check of the company's proof of insurance. The original quote was for $4,175, but the council approved extra funds to update outside lighting as well.
n Heard the first pole banner for the town's sesquicentennial celebration is complete. The banner, which was on display at the meeting, features a drawing of a "rambler" and the years of the town's existence. The banners will be displayed in the town all year.
n Heard raffle tickets for a lawn table and chairs will be sold to help the David Basham family with expenses and medical bills. Tickets for the powder-coated steel and Plastisol over steel lawn set donated by Wabash Valley Manufacturing are $1 each or six for $5. Tickets may be purchased at the Silver Lake Town Offices, however, the town is not in charge of the raffle. The winning ticket will be drawn at the Feb. 10 town council meeting. For more information, contact Glass at 260-352-2120.
n Heard there will be a benefit for the Drake family, who lost their home to a fire in December. The benefit is a baked potato bar with all the trimmings and choice of pie at the Silver Lake Lions Club Jan. 23 from 4 to 7 p.m. Freewill donations will be accepted for the meal and the proceeds will go to the Drake family.
For more information or to donate, contact Wayne or Pat Spratt at 260-352-2828, Nikki Marker at 260-578-1456, or Terry Marker at 260-578-1665.
n Approved sewer adjustments for Marjorie LeGarde, Chuck Hershberger, Donald Dunphy, Danny Hayes, Rhonda Wrightsman and Ralph Miller due to water leaks. Water adjustments also were approved for Hershberger, Dunphy, Hayes and Wrightsman.
n Voted to keep Gale Owens as town council president for 2009.
n Tabled a decision on increasing the town's liability insurance to $5 million.
