So many people showed up for the Silver Lake Village Board Wednesday night that the board had to adjourn the meeting until a future date because the room was over its legal capacity. A contract for rescue services for 2012 was on the agenda. The village is considering discontinuing its long-standing contract with Silver Lake Rescue Inc.
A decision on a highly anticipated agenda item about contracting for rescue services in Silver Lake for 2013 was delayed when Wednesday’s Village Board meeting was abruptly adjourned due to an over capacity crowd in the Village Hall meeting room.
However, village President Jeffrey Albrecht said he would have sought tabling of the item regardless of the turnout due to some late information that needs more consideration.
Well over 80 people were in the meeting room with others in the hall. Capacity of the room is 75, said fire Chief Andrew McFarlane.
“We can’t continue the meeting with the capacity we have,” Abrecht said.
While some audience members were discussing rotating in and out of the meeting after making comments, Albrecht said he preferred that the comments be heard at a re-scheduled meeting, which other board members apparently agreed with as the meeting was unanimously adjourned after handling only one item of business, a proclamation honoring municipal Judge David Engstrom, who died Nov. 29.
Albrecht said he would try to secure a date and venue for the special meeting as soon as possible, with a likely date being next week.
The village is considering discontinuing its long-standing contract with Silver Lake Rescue Inc. in favor of an arrangement with Salem Fire/Rescue for EMS with Silver Lake Fire Department firefighters acting as first responders.
Silver Lake Rescue is a free standing entity while the Silver Lake Fire Department is part of the village government.
The village has been paying Silver Lake Rescue $27,000 a year for its services.
Earlier discussion of the proposed arrangement with Salem was that there would be no charge to the village for its services but that in exchange Silver Lake FD would cover some additional area for Salem Fire/Rescue.
