Silver Lake last to say yes to library agreement

By Gail Peckler-Dziki
Correspondent

Following agreement by four other municipalities, the Silver Lake Village Board unanimously approved the Community Library agreement at its regular meeting Sept. 7.

Noting scheduling, the members of the Silver Lake Village Board were the last to approve the intergovernmental library agreement.

The agreement puts in place a nine-member board, consisting of one representative from villages of Silver Lake, Paddock Lake and the Town of Randall.

While two will represent the Village of Twin Lakes, four will come from the Town of Salem.

The Town of Salem has given up one of its four spots to a school district representative as mandated by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. That position will be filled by a representative from a school district in the library’s service area on a rotating basis.

Positive audit report
Auditors Terry Schmidt from Andrea and Orendorff LLP presented the village’s 2015 financial audit.

The auditors commended Silver Lake Clerk/Treasurer Vicki Galich, who was hired in April 2016, for gathering and preparing information for the financial audit.

“We have had the list (of suggested improvements to the system) for a while,” Galich said, “and we have already been working on implementing them.”

Schmidt also reported that the unassigned fund balance increased from last year, increasing from 10.47 percent to 12.37 percent.

“It is suggested that municipalities maintain a 17 percent fund balance,” Schmidt said, “but this is a move in the right direction.”

Schmidt, however, mentioned the village purchasing policy enacted by the board had not been followed consistently.

Schmidt noted lack of completed sewer and water budgets.

“That should have been completed in 2014,” said Village Trustee Doug Randolph.

However, Galich states, the sewer and water budgets have since been completed.

Village President Bruce Nopenz said he believes that leaving them unfinished was a result of maliciousness.

Schmidt said the attorney costs of $132,000 for 2015 were comparatively high.

Village resident Kathy Andrea questioned attorney costs

“Is there a control on this? It got out of hand,” she told board members.

The attorney fees expense item in the general fund was $98,544 – over budget by $85,544.

The sewer budget was charged $30,792 and the storm water fund was charged $2,733l making a grand total of $132,069 in attorney fees.

Nopenz said part of the problem was that Silver Lake had no administrator watching over business.

“We’ll have one in 2017,” he said, referring to the pending merger with the Town of Salem.

Stop signs added
The board also passed ordinances for new stop signs on Fourth Street at Elm and Chestnut streets.

Nopenz states Fourth Street was a straight shot for drivers and there was a lot of speeding.

“This should slow things down,” he said.

At the end of the meeting, the Village Board went into a closed session with Salem Administrator Pat Casey to discuss transitional staffing and compensation.

Silver Lake Trustee Pat Dunn affirmed that individual employees would be discussed.


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