Purchase of services with three local agencies were approved by the Salem Lakes Village Board Monday.
In unanimous voice votes (with Trustees Dennis Faber and Jared Young absent) the board approved:
- $2,000 for the Twin Lakes Senior Citizens Club.
- $7,500 for Westosha Senior Community Center.
- $18,000 for The Sharing Center.
The purchase of service funding is a mechanism by which the village helps fund local public service agencies. When it was instituted, the idea was the services, if not offered by these non-profit organizations, could conceivably need to be provided directly by the village.
The requests for the Twin Lakes Senior Citizens Club and the Westosha Senior Community Center were pared back some from the amount each group requested — $2,000 less for the former and $500 for the later. The amounts actually approved were the same in both cases as the last time the village purchased services from those groups.
Trustee Bill Barhyte said unforeseen increase in village expenses justified giving no increases.
“We don’t know how our funding is going to be this year,” Barhyte said.
However, Trustee Bill Hopkins, who made all three motions, said he supported the full amount of The Sharing Center’s request because the group serves people down on their luck. Sharon Pomaville, the center’s executive director, said at the meeting the volume of people seeking help has been strong this year and “it’s not slowing down.”
“Our numbers have increased every single month,” Pomaville said at the meeting. “Everybody coming through our doors is in crisis. I implore you not to decrease funding to us.”
The Sharing Center provides a food pantry and other crisis relief resources such as housing assistance, children’s services, employment assistance, domestic violence services, clothing help, senior services and veterans services.
Last year, the Village Board increased The Sharing Center’s funding to $15,000 from the $12,000 the group had requested.
Trustee Kelly Sweeting asked Pomaville if the center provides relief to people who do not live in Western Kenosha County. Pomaville answered the center typically will provide onetime help to someone in crisis regardless of geography, but that they then work to connect them with the local relief agencies in their home area.
Pat Mircoha, the president of the Twin Lakes Senior Citizens Club, shared with the board that despite the groups origination in Twin Lakes and its name that it has slightly more Salem Lakes residents as members than any other municipality — 35 from Salem Lakes. Second place goes to Twin Lakes at 34. Others come from as far away as Crystal Lake, Ill and Kenosha.
“I really think we are doing something right,” Mirocha said.
Mirocha said the Salem Lakes money would likely be used toward the group’s annual rent of $1,500.
Hopkins proposed leasing the village owned former Silver Lake Rescue building in Silver Lake to the club for $1 a month. At first, Mirocha said she would be reluctant to move from Twin Lakes due to its long tenure there, but later said she would consider the offer for the future.
The Westosha Senior Community Center also has a strong contingent from Salem Lakes, despite its physical location being in Bristol. Of 254 dues paying members at the time the request was submitted, 111 identified as being from Salem Lakes, said Sandy Jacoby, who represented the group at the meeting.
