Group will pave way for pending merger
By Gail Peckler-Dziki
Correspondent
The Village of Salem Lakes Transition Committee met for the first time on Jan. 23, when members elected current Town of Salem Chairwoman Diann Tesar as the leader of the transition team.
While Silver Lake Village President Bruce Nopenz seconded, Town of Salem Supervisor Dennis Faber motioned to appoint her as the chairwoman.
“Diann has been at the helm in Salem for a long time. This makes sense,” Faber said.
One of the main responsibilities of the committee, which will meet at least three times before the April 4 election that will decide the seating of the Salem Lakes Village Board, is to review all bills received in the Town of Salem and make recommendations to the Village Board regarding payment.
The next Transition Committee meeting is set for Monday, Feb. 20, at 6 p.m. at the Salem Town Hall, the day before the primary election.
Other regular meetings are planned for March 13 and April 10. The committee chairwoman can call other meetings if necessary. All meetings will be noticed to the public.
The new Village Board will be seated on April 18.
Further responsibilities
Additionally, other tasks the committee is responsible for include analyzing and organizing the two municipal courts, discussing the clerk and treasurer positions along with assuring certain rules are consistent, like purchasing.
Nopenz reminded the committee of state statutes that require certain committees and commission for villages.
Tesar stated that membership positions, which will be posted, are available to any interested resident.
Salem Town Administrator Pat Casey suggested a Codification Committee, consisting of three representatives from each board.
Along with Tesar and Faber, Salem Town Supervisor Ted Kmiec volunteered.
Nopenz said he will chose three from Silver Lake.
This Codification Committee will work on blending the ordinances of the town and village.
According to Salem Town Clerk Cindi Dulaney who took part in the codification of Salem town ordinances, codifying is “quite a process,” she stated in a later telephone interview.
“General Code (the company that Salem worked with for ordinance codification and is also handling the first part of the codification) has attorneys on staff who review the ordinances,” Dulaney continued. “They make recommendations that must be reviewed by the committee, staff and occasionally the municipal attorney.”
Once this is complete, the ordinances will be available on the eventual Salem Lakes website.
Website plans discussed
Current part-time Silver Lake Village Clerk Vicki Galich suggested the committee also talk about the unification of the two municipal websites.
Galich said that Diane Maki maintains the village website.
Dulaney, in the telephone interview, reports that she maintains the town website and has initiated contact with the .gov office about the upcoming changes.
Other business
Long-time Silver Lake Building Inspector Royce Kennedy will retire on Feb. 28, and after his departure, inspection paperwork will be handled at the Salem Town Hall.
“We also serve Twin Lakes, Randall and Bristol,” Casey said, “and there is so much going on that we have no one who can sit in the Village Hall for four hours a week. They will need to come to the Town Hall.”
Galich suggested, “We can hand out the initial application and that will save time.”
The committee will also consider the clerk and treasurer positions.