Town approves cost of living raises for employees

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SILVERHILL, Alabama — The Silverhill Town Council approved a 2 percent cost of living raise for town employees at its meeting May 18 at Silverhill Town Hall.

“This was a budgeted expense for each department,” said Mayor Jared Lyles at the May 18 meeting, “and the expense falls well within the budgeted adjustments.”

With the added 2 percent expense, the town will spend approximately $172,000 on employee salaries for the 2019-20 fiscal year, including around $72,400 for utilities department employees, $65,700 for police department employees and just under $34,000 for office employees.

In other business May 18, the council voted to transfer $7,000 to pay Urgent Air to replace the heating and air conditioning unit at the Little Bohemian Hall.

It has been nine years since the nearly 100-year-old structure sustained extensive damage during a tornado and a group rallied to save the structure after the council voted to proceed with plans to demolish the structure and build a new Community Center.

Nearly one year later, a proposal was presented to the Council at a specially called meeting to move the structure closer to the corner of Third Avenue and Fourth Street near the town’s water tower.

The structure was moved to its new home at the corner of Third Avenue and Fourth Street in April of 2012. Renovations were completed in 2014 and the structure was dedicated and re-opened during a ceremony held in January of 2015.

Also on May 18, Lyles gave a brief update on continued plans to re-open the town.

“There is really nothing much to report right now because we are waiting for new orders from the governor,” Lyles said. The governor’s revised “Safer At Home” order was scheduled to expire May 22.

Following the council’s meeting on May 4, the town announced plans to lift restrictions at the park, resume municipal court and open town hall by appointment only.

Municipal court resumed on Wednesday, May 20 with the following stipulations:

• Only defendants are allowed unless you have received a subpoena. No children or additional family members are allowed.

• If you would like to make a payment you can do so by calling 251-945-3251.

• Only a few people will be allowed in the courtroom at a time.

As always, no cell phones, purses or weapons will be allowed inside the courtroom.