SILVER LAKE - The new owner of the Silver Lake Elementary School building wants the town's input.
At the regular meeting of the Silver Lake Town Council Tuesday night, Victoria Owens, a representative for the building's new owner, Mike Baur, addressed the town council and citizens.Owens said there will be a "no bulldozer party" Saturday from 5 to 7 p.m. at the school for everyone who helped save the building. The party will include cookies and punch.
Options for the use of the building are still being discussed. One idea is to have a charter school at the location. A committee is being formed to look into the charter school option, and a meeting will be held at the school building Friday to discuss that option. Anyone interested is welcome to attend. The meeting will begin at 5 p.m.
Also, the gym may be available for rent and for community events.
Owens said anyone with ideas for the school building should contact her at 260-352-2543.
Since the school has been empty for the past several years, there will be a community clean-up day at the building Nov. 22 beginning at 9 a.m. Anyone who helps with the cleanup will receive $25 off a gym rental in the future.
The council also heard from Jim Walker, representative of the Silver Lake Conservation Association. Walker said the group is in the process of applying for Lake and River Enhancement grants for next year to help with weed control. Last year, the weed control cost about $19,000, with most of the funding for the project coming from LARE grants. This year's estimated cost of weed control is $16,000.
The lake association also is beginning fundraisers to pay for dredging areas of the lake. Dredging is very costly, so the association probably will have to raise funds for several years to pay for it.
One fundraiser the lake association has already started is the sale of decorative license plates. The plates have a full-color photo of Silver Lake and cost $10. For more information about the plates, visit www.silverlakeconservation.com or call Walker at 260-352-0806.
After hearing from Owens and Walker, the council approved several quotes that will help improve the look of the town.
First, the council approved a motion to spend $22,872 to repair several sidewalks in the town. Lawson was the only company to submit bids for the project, although bids were requested from three companies.
Next, the town approve a motion to hire Lewis Tree Service to remove and trim several trees in town. Lawson's bid of $2,350 for the job included grinding and cleanup of the site after the trees are removed.
Finally, the town accepted a bid from Gaunt & Sons for the repaving of several streets in town. Gaunt & Sons' bid of $17,830 was the lowest of the three bids the the town received.
