SILVER LAKE – At Tuesday night’s Silver Lake Town Council meeting, the council approved an anti-nepotism ordinance, as well as a salary increase for employees, and discussed the specifications of an abatement.
As per Indiana law, each city and town must pass an anti-nepotism ordinance. Council members reviewed the ordinance and agreed that it needed to be passed.
“We pretty much don’t have a choice,” said councilman Chad Miner. “We need to pass this ordinance.”
The council passed ordinance 06-01-12 unanimously.
In prior meetings the board agreed to give raises to Julie Reahard, the utilities billing and administrative assistant, and JT Prater, an employee with the streets and utilities department.
“By the ordinance Julie and JT would get a 50 cent raise,” said Silver Lake Clerk-Treasurer Tonya Conley. “Julie would be at $9.95 an hour and JT would be at $13.10 per hour.”
The council approved the ordinance unanimously.
The final point of business the council discussed was issues with the Wabash Valley Manufacturing abatement. Wabash Valley contested that within the abatement their personal property would be covered. The county contested that it was not explicitly specified in the 2008 abatement that personal property was included.
“They have not paid their full abatement,” Conley said. “They have paid 25 percent and incurred fines.”
The county told Conley that in order for the town to include the private property they would have to draft a new ordinance and specify that private property is a part of the abatement.
Town attorney Verne Landis informed the council that it was well within their rights to accept or deny the request.
“I would rather allow the personal property to be allowed and stay on good terms with local business than litigate it,” Miner said.
The council approved allowing Wabash Valley Manufacturing to include their private property into the two-year abatement.
The next meeting of the Silver Lake Town Council is July 10 at 7 p.m. at the Silver Lake Town Hall.
