Note: This post now includes clarification of the action taken by the Village Board. It differs from the original version — DH
Salem Lakes has approved language for seeking proposals from real estate agents in an effort to sell property the village owns, but does not need.
The action was approved unanimously by the Village Board at a special meeting March 6.
The board approved the wording for the request for proposals, but has not picked dates and times for the actual submittals, said Michael Murdock, village administrator.
Trustee Bill Hopkins expressed disappointment that the action hadn’t been taken sooner. The board has been pondering whether to actively seek to sell some of these properties for 3.5 years, he said.
“I’m disappointed that it has taken this long for us to get where we’re at,” Hopkins said. “We need to move on this.”
At a discussion only committee of the whole meeting before the special meeting, the board discussed the fate of the former Silver Lake Rescue Squad station in Silver Lake. The rescue squad began disbanding in 2019.
The building currently is used to house supplies for the Journey Disaster Response Team, which was formed by Journey Church after local flooding along the Fox River in 2017 and has a network of 35 partner agencies in Kenosha, Walworth and Racine counties, said Jeff Berard team director. Emergency partners in Kenosha County include: Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department, Kenosha County Emergency Management, Salem Lakes Fire/Rescue, Pleasant Prairie Fire and Rescue, Pleasant Prairie Police Dept. and the city of Kenosha Fire Department. Services provided include:
- Disaster Services.
- Emergency rehab and support operations.
- Rapid response for assisting families impacted by a fire, flood or other incidents.
- Emergency food supply that facilitates a totally mobile distribution of packaged food, personal care and household supplies to underserved neighborhoods with our partner agencies bringing hope to hurting families in our community.
“Our community is rich with good intent, being helpful and thoughtful, however coordination needed to be included,” Salem Lake Fire/Rescue Chief James Lejcar said in an email to westofthei.com. “The DRT stepped up and began to ask all the right questions.”
Lejcar credited the team with having responded to over a dozen incidents — large and small — since it inception.
“The support that the DRT provide is a priceless part of emergency response,” Lejcar said.
Lejcar said at the meeting that the rescue building also houses one piece of fire apparatus.
Trustee Rod Gandt asked if the village needed to keep the building. Some other trustees, after hearing about the use by the Disaster Response Team, said they wanted to keep the building for its current use but were interested in seeing if the building could be rented.
Murdock said the agent ultimately hired to sell properties also could be charged with seeking rental tenants for the rescue building.
“Let’s see if someone shows interest,” village President Diann Tesar said.
