Editor’s note: The Village of Silver Lake approved the same agreement in a May 5 meeting, and a story will appear in the May 13 edition of the Westosha Report.
Plan calls for some consolidation with Silver Lake
By Gail Peckler-Dziki
Correspondent
The Salem Town Board unanimously approved a resolution authorizing the preparation of a cooperative plan between the town and the Village of Silver Lake at a May 2, 5 p.m. special town board meeting.
Town Chair Diann Tesar took a voice vote and members Dennis Faber, Dan Camion, Ted Kmiec and Mike Culat were all affirmative, as was Tesar.
The resolution explains that state statutes authorize municipalities to enter into cooperative plans regarding the development of territories and determining boundary lines between them.
Town residents will be able to see the plan and discuss it with other residents and elected officials.
The village contracted with Salem for fire and rescue services, developing that cooperative agreement last fall, with the implementation of that plan in January of this year.
“After we worked with the Silver Lake board on that agreement,” town chair Diann Tesar said, “the Silver Lake board decided they like how we worked together and the talks about possible consolidation began.”
The town also recently stepped up when long-time Department of Public Works Supervisor Bob Williams gave three weeks notice of retirement, leaving the village with no one at the helm of that department.
Salem Public Works Supervisor Mike Murdoch has been providing some supervision for Silver Lake as well as helping the village complete projects that they previously contracted out, such as culvert replacement.
This resolution was on the May 4 Silver Lake village board agenda, but results were not available for that meeting by press date.