Salem and Silver Lake residents hear merger plans

Nearly 80 residents listen in at a Silver Lake-Salem merger hearing (Gail Peckler-Dziki/The Report)
Nearly 80 residents listen in at a Silver Lake-Salem merger hearing (Gail Peckler-Dziki/The Report)

By Gail Peckler-Dziki
Correspondent

Nearly 80 residents from the Village of Silver Lake and Town of Salem attended a joint public hearing held at the Salem Town Hall on July 5.

The meeting was held at the Town Hall since it is larger than the Village Hall and could accommodate a larger crowd.

The members of both boards fielded questions that ranged from the possible name of the new village to street names in Silver Lake.

Silver Lake Village President Bruce Nopenz assured residents there would be no street names changes for the village.

“The county gave us three choices. The first was to change now and adopt the avenues system that the rest of the county uses,” he explained.

“When the streets were put into a grid,” he continued, “it was clear that the streets in Silver Lake meandered all around and to attempt to change would be a nightmare.”

The other choice was to do nothing and the third was to put in the blue address signs as Salem has. Those signs aid rescue services to find locations quickly. That is the chosen option.

Nopenz also reassured those who wondered whether the streetlights in Silver Lake would still shine at night.

One thing Salem Town Chairwoman Diann Tesar made clear was that, if the merger is approved on Feb. 14, 2017, “We (Town Board members) all lose our jobs. We will have to run for a spot on the new village seven-member board.”

The new board will have seven members, and no seats will be allocated by geographic area. Silver Lake resident Dorothy Wold asked how the municipality might benefit from the changes and improvements occurring at the former Wilmot Ski Hill.

Tesar explained that while most of the site was in the Town of Salem, part of it is in the Town of Randall.

Town Supervisor Mike Culat said he believes the greatest benefit to the general area would be long-term, when the new facilities would bring more people into the area for recreational purposes.

Salem Administrator Pat Casey explained to a concerned resident that Silver Lake had the same types of issues that all municipalities have. Some roads were in really good shape and some weren’t.

He also said the sewer plant, lift stations and collector system in Silver Lake had been upgraded not long ago and was working well.

“We did an inventory of the public places in Silver Lake and things seem to be in pretty good shape,” Casey reported.

One Salem resident reported that she discovered none of her neighbors are aware of the possible merger.

“I know you don’t legally need to have a referendum,” she said, “but maybe you should to make sure that people know what is going on.”

Tesar said, “We have sent two postcards to every home and there have been numerous stories in the media. (I) don’t know what else we can do to inform people.”

Any referendum would be merely advisory.

The next step in the process will occur later this month when both boards vote on the cooperative boundary agreement. That agreement must be submitted to the state on Sept. 6 and the Department of Administration will decide by Dec. 5 if the merger will proceed.

If the DOA approves the agreement, Salem and Silver Lake would become one municipality on Feb. 14.

If a spring primary is needed for the new village board, it would take place on Feb. 21, with the spring election held on April 4. The first meeting of the new board would take place on April 17, with three trustee positions and the village president on that ballot.


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One response to “Salem and Silver Lake residents hear merger plans”

  1. Jo Lasdasky Avatar
    Jo Lasdasky

    This is such a good thing for Silver Lake and for Salem. I wish I was still there to be able to celebrate the good fortune of all the residents. Way to go Salem Board and Silver Lake Board to make both municipalities stronger and better equipped for all residents.