SILVERHILL, Alabama – The Silverhill Town Council set prices for the rental of its new Community Center Monday night and is considering rules and regulations for the structure.

The Town Council voted unanimously with all members present to set rental rates at $200 for in-town residents and $300 for out-of –town residents. A deposit equal to the rental rate is required.

Court clerk Amy Macon presented the council with a set of rules for the Center, stating that it is a copy of rules set up by the Loxley Civic Center.

“There is a lot of stuff in there that we don’t need,” she said, “but I decided that it was easier to just take out what we don’t need rather than write something up from scratch.”

The Council set a workshop meeting for 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 26 to discuss the rules and regulations for the Center. Plans are to vote on the rules and regulations at the Council’s regular meeting on Dec. 3.

The town will begin scheduling rentals for the Center, but dates will not be available for before the rules and regulations are finalized, officials said.

“They can call to set up a date, but they won’t actually be able to rent the Center until Dec. 4,” said Mayor Tim Wilson.

The Town held a grand opening/ribbon cutting for the new facility on Wednesday, Nov. 14, over a year and a half after the Little Bohemian Hall was damaged when a tornado ripped through the area.

After bids to build the structure came in at over $400,000, the town decided to use municipal employees to complete the project. Wilson estimated the using town labor, the structure cost about $230,000 to complete.

The Town received $167,000 from the insurance settlement for the former structure. Depreciation costs have been estimated at $75,000 in addition funding and could be more once the structure is completed, he said.

It is not yet known how much the town will have to borrow on the project, but Wilson said he believed the structure itself will be paid for and any funds that will have to be borrowed will probably go for paving the parking lot around the structure.

The 3,000 square foot structure includes a 1,600 square foot meeting room, plus storage space, a fully-equipped kitchen, restrooms and a covered back deck area where the town plans to build picnic tables.

The Council also voted on Monday night to hold its annual Christmas dinner for the Council, town employees, Board members and their families at the Community Center following the Monday, Dec. 3 Council meeting.

Pictures with Santa by photographer Cathy Elgie, sponsored by United Bank of Silverhill, will also be held at the Community Center on Saturday, Dec. 8 from 9 to 11:30 a.m.

The town is currently offering packages of two 5 x 7 photos for $10. Proceeds will benefit the Silverhill Kids Park.

An open house for residents will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 9 at the Center.

Meanwhile, plans are continuing to rebuild the Little Bohemian Hall, which received extensive damage during a tornado that ripped through the area in March of 2011.

In other business, the Council tabled action to allow Christian Faith Assembly Church to pave part of the right of way next to the church.

“I would like to know some exact measurements of what’s being done and how much it will encroach on the right of way,” said Council member Jared Lyles.

The town sent an inquiry about the proposal to the South Alabama Regional Planning Commission, which recommended that they not allow the church to pave the property.

“While there is nothing that prevents the city from allowing them to pave into the right of way, it’s not a very good idea as it could create some liability issues for the city,” SARPC Planner Leslie Johnston wrote in a letter to the town. “In general, allowing private use of public land is just not a good idea, especially if you’ve had trouble with the issue before.”

Town attorney Josh Myrick said he would also not recommend allowing the church to use the right of way.

“I would never say never, I just don’t think it’s a good idea,” Myrick said. “My biggest issue is not paving the right of way, but in blocking public access to the right of way by using it as a parking lot. If they are going to use it just as an entrance to the parking lot and will not be using the area for parking, then we could work something out.”

Danny and Debbie Gore with the church address the council on Monday and said the church has recently placed a sidewalk around the building and in order to move the parking area away from the right of way and closer to the building, it would mean tearing up part of the recent construction.

“We’re just looking to make improvements on the property,” Danny Gore said. “We’ll do whatever we must to comply with what the town wants.”

Also on Monday, the Council:

• Agreed to participate in the Severe Weather Preparedness Tax Holiday Feb. 22-24.
• Agreed to allow Chamber representative Mary deLaunay to spend $100 for a silent auction item for the Chamber’s Annual Banquet, Thursday, Jan. 17.
• Introduced Resolution No. 485-11-19-2012 contract renewal for tax administration with Revenue Discovery Systems. The measure will be advertised and voted on at the Council’s Dec. 3 meeting.
• Approved longevity pay for town employees in the amount of $4,850.
• Agreed to allow Town Clerk Patricia Bankester to attend a clerk’s conference Dec. 5-7 at a cost of $295.
• Agree to allow Police Chief Kim Wasdin to attend a chief’s conference Jan. 28-31 in Montgomery at a cost of $200 for registration plus $99 per night for a hotel room.
• Approved the Business of the Year for the Central Baldwin Chamber of Commerce Annual Banquet in January.