SILVER LAKE – At Tuesday night’s Silver Lake Town Council meeting, the council approved an abatement for personal property for Wabash Valley Manufacturing, an additional appropriation for 2010 hydrant rent, and bids for moving the fire alarm to the new station.
During the council’s last meeting, they looked into the possibility of approving an abatement on personal property for Wabash Valley Manufacturing. Wabash Valley said the personal property was supposed to be a part of the abatement that they currently have. The council agreed, but wanted to talk to county officials about the situation.
Town attorney Vern Landis wrote up the paperwork for the abatement. Town Clerk-Treasurer Tonya Conley said the county treasurer said the paperwork looked alright.
The council voted unanimously to approve the measure.
Conley also informed the council the hydrant rent for 2010 had not been paid yet. The cost of the payment is $30,000. Conley told the council the State Board of Accounts told her it needed to be paid in order to get the water budget out of the red.
“We are going to have to make this payment in two installments,” Conley said. “We do not have the money to pay the full payment. We will make one payment near the end of this year and one next year sometime.”
The council approved the appropriation 3-0.
During reports from department heads, town marshal Craig Hollopeter asked the council if he continue moving on with relocating the tornado siren from the old fire station to the new fire station, in order for more people to hear the siren. Hollopeter said that many people have told him they could not hear the siren very well.
Hollopeter received a bid for $2,835 from J&K Communications for the relocation of the siren. The board gave Hollopeter the approval to look into cutting the cost of the relocation, by using a different electrician and finding someone local to dig the hold for the pole.
Hollopeter told the board he will continue to look for bids and ways to cut cost. The board also gave him approval to continue with the project if he can get the cost under that of the J&K bid.
The council additionally set a public meeting to discuss the condition of the old school that has had many windows broken out. Councilman Gale Owens said the building was not being used for what they were told it would be. The special meeting will be Aug. 3 at 6 p.m. at the Silver Lake Town Hall.
The next meeting will be Aug. 14 at 7 p.m., at the Silver Lake Town Hall.
