Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
SILVER LAKE – At Wednesday night's meeting, the Silver Lake Town Council presented 10 new ordinances, including those that revoke and replace outdated existing ordinances.
Ordinances presented on first reading included property standards, discharge of firearms within town limits, pets running at large, salvage yards, vehicles (junked, abandoned, nuisance), obstruction of public ways, address numbers, mobile homes, burning and establishing ordinance violation bureau and appeals process.
Many of the replaced ordinances had not been revisited in decades or more, including the discharge of firearms within town limits ordinance, which had last been passed in 1883.
Council members Hugh Murfin, Nichole Taylor and Jean Weller, along with town attorney Austin Rovenstine and Clerk-Treasurer Tonya Conley, took turns reading the ordinances aloud. Each ordinance was presented individually on first reading with an opportunity for comments or concerns, several of which were raised by Town Marshal Jason McGlennen.
The ordinances will be presented on second reading with some updates to wording, including clarification on exact time periods for when fines can be issued and exceptions for immediate towing of nuisance vehicles by emergency response personnel, at the Dec. 10 meeting.
All ordinances must have two readings before they can be approved and go into effect.
Guest speakers at the meeting were attorneys Rama Sobhani and Matt Mize, representing several clients who object to resident David Basham's petition to vacate a public street which provides primary access to their neighboring properties.
Mize argued that while there is an alley providing access to other properties in the area, an alley is considered secondary access, and does not meet the requirement for primary access that a street provides.
Council asked Sobhani and Mize to discuss an arrangement for a partial vacation of the street, which bisects one of Sobhani's client's properties.
Terra Trytko, of LITE (Living in Transition Effectively) Recovery, also spoke to council about adding a NaloxBox with free public access to Narcan/naloxone, a substance overdose prevention medication. Narcan is administered nasally and is totally harmless if given to someone who is not overdosing. Trytko said the program is free and LITE Recovery staff maintains the seven NaloxBoxes already placed across Kosciusko County.
Taylor suggested the Lions Club building at 108 S. Elm St. for the NaloxBox.
In old business, council voted 2-1, Weller abstaining, on a raise for town employees in 2026. Each employee will receive a $0.50 per hour wage increase.
Council held a determination hearing for the property at 502 W. Coy Ave., which is set to be demolished pending NIPSCO's removal of the power line. Council voted to waive the $500 noncompliance fee and provide an extension through March.
In other business, council:
• Approved a contract with Baker Tilly who will assist Conley with a bond agreement for Community Center project funding. The contract outlines hourly wages for Baker Tilly employees, ranging from $115 to $424 per hour.
• Approved the Parkview EMS 2026–27 agreement.
• Scheduled an end-of-year meeting on Dec. 29.
• Approved a resident's sewer adjustment of $26.36.
• Approved a claims docket of $185,346.90.
• Thanked the anonymous family who donated a Food Pantry Cabinet with supplies, which is now located outside the meeting room at Town Hall. Donations can be placed in the cabinet or brought to the clerk's office.
Council will next meet at 7 p.m. Dec. 10.
