SILVERHILL, Alabama --- The Silverhill Town Council voted unanimously at its meeting Monday to provide additional funding for the Oscar Johnson Memorial Library.

At Monday’s meeting Council member Shirley Stephens, who serves as volunteer director for the Library, presented the Council with a financial statement for 2011, which showed expenses for the Library exceeded revenue by nearly $700.

“We have other revenues, but this is all we can really count on,” Stephens said. The majority of the Library’s revenue comes from a $250 per month stipend from the town, she said.

“In the past, we were getting reimbursed for our power bill and the town was paying for our pest control,” Stephens said. “This past year the pest control came out of our pocket and we were reimbursed for the power bill only once.”

One of the oldest buildings in Silverhill, the Library was the site of the original Svea Land Company over 100 years ago, and is named for the town’s founder, who ran the company.

The Non-Pariel Club took over the building and opened it as a library in 1922. The town took over the operation of the library from the Non-Pariel Club in 1975.

For the past several years, proceeds from the annual Silverhill Car Show went to the library, but this year’s proceeds went to restoring the Little Bohemian Hall.

“You have to ask yourselves, do you want to keep the library open or do you want us to shut it down,” Stephens said. “We’ll do whatever you want us to do.”

The Council voted unanimously to provide an extra $100 per month to the library. In addition, the council voted to reimburse the library for the annual termite inspection.

Council members Jared Lyles and Wayne Gruenloh were not present at Monday’s meeting. Stephens did not abstain from voting in the matter. Mayor Tim Wilson said since she does not get paid for her position as library director, it does not constitute a conflict of interest.

In other business Monday, the council:

• Approved a request from the Central Baldwin Chamber of Commerce to host a Business After Hours in November.
• Adopted Resolution 469 to move the town’s recreation account from PNC Bank in Robertsdale to United Bank in Silverhill. The council voted unanimously first to suspend the rules to introduce the resolution then voted unanimously to pass the resolution.
• Adopted Resolution 472 accepting a $150,000 Safe Routes to Schools Grants from the Alabama Department of Transportation. The grant, which will pay 100 percent, will be used to construct sidewalks on the north side of town.
• Adopted Resolution 473 creating an account for the town’s court system. Court Clerk Amy Macon addressed the council, saying she was required to collect an extra fee beginning Thursday, June 21. Monies from the fee will be used for the operation of the court and could eventually be used to hire an assistant for the court.
• Approved a measure to provide $300 to purchase trees for the town’s annual Arbor Day tree giveaway.
• Tabled a request from Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (V.O.A.D.) to donate $1,000 to the organization for operating expenses. Council members agreed to table the request until after the Council passes its 2012-13 budget in October.
• Chase Bryant presented a proposal for setting up a website for the town. No action was taken at Monday’s meeting. Wilson said the matter would be brought back to the council at its meeting July 2 when all council members should be present.
• Police Chief Kim Wasdin presented a proposal to the council for purchase of a new vehicle for the police department. Wilson asked Wasdin to gather information on leasing a vehicle for consideration at the council’s next meeting.
• Tabled consideration of Resolution 468 to close dormant accounts after it was discovered that one of the accounts on the list did not need to be closed.