SILVER LAKE – The Silver Lake Town Council approved multiple resolutions, discussed utility disconnections and agreed to buy playground equipment for the town Tuesday.
The first three resolutions on the agenda dealt with the state-mandated nepotism ordinances.
Resolution 12-1-8 dealt with employees as of July 1 and chain of command; Resolution 12-2-9 dealt with new hire verification forms; and resolution 12-3-8 dealt with employee code policy.
All of these resolutions were implemented to curb preferential treatment to contractors and potential employees of family members that work for the town.
All three resolutions were unanimously passed.
Resolution 12-4-8 was for an appropriation of funds from accounts that have more than enough funds in them to accounts that are low on funds.
The resolution was unanimously passed.
Resolutions 12-5-8 and 12-6-8 were appropriation reductions.
Town Clerk-Treasurer Tonya Conley said, “The town was not left in very good shape. We were not left with enough to pay the budgets.”
Council member Phil Shalley said, “We are trying to get back on our feet and it is going to be a hell of a process. It’s not going to be easy.”
Many town bills including the hydrant rent fee were not paid in 2010 and 2011 by the previous clerk-treasurer, Angie Glass, according to Conley. Conley has asked the council multiple times for appropriations to fix issues with the budget Glass left the town.
The resolutions were unanimously passed.
After the resolutions, Conley informed the council and the public that the town had $10,000 in delinquent water bills, with a tricky situation on how to fix it.
“We really need to be more strict with the payments and bills,” Conley said. “This is a discussion on what we should do in order to be fair to the town and the residents.”
Silver Lake street superintendent Jasun Blocher said, “I think if people get more than a few months behind we should shut it off, barring legal issues.”
Shalley added to Blocher’s comment.
“We have a family now that is $500 behind and can only pay $10 per week,” Shalley said. “They are just getting deeper in the hole.”
Conley suggested that instead of allowing four payment agreements per year, the town reduce that number to two.
The response from the board and the residents in attendance was overwhelmingly in support of Conley’s idea.
Once the discussion was finished, Conley informed the council that there are funds left for expanding or upgrading the park behind the old school.
Conley said that she could buy $9,000 worth of equipment for $2,536. The equipment was ordered by another town that backed out and the company needed to move the equipment.
The council unanimously agreed to purchase the equipment.
The next meeting of the Silver Lake Town Council is Sept. 11 at 7 p.m.
