Goessel resident tells commission county jail would bring wrong 'culture'

Written by Jerry Engler Tuesday, 05 December 2006 18:00

The Marion County Commission started its $641,283.89 payday meeting Thursday, Nov. 30, drawing names to choose township clerks from among citizens who got one vote each because of all the electors who choose to write in their neighbors' names on blank ballots.

Candidates "elected" in this final voting lottery included Jesse Bruner in Blaine Township, Marsha Vogel in Gale Township, Harry Sieger in Grant Township, Todd Jost in Lehigh Township, and Terry Nystrom in Milton Township.

Tony Epp of Goessel voiced opposition to location of a community corrections center or new jail here.

"I would not like to see the kind of culture it would bring here," he said.

Epp warned that prisoners and their families carry "demons." He said criminals who have done wrong should not have facilities that are too nice.

He said the commissioners should seek economic development that would bring more warehouses and distribution centers here because of the geographic center of transportation Marion County has relative to neighboring counties.

Commission Chairman Dan Holub said the county has to provide minimum standards of facilities to prisoners because they are still citizens who by the U.S. Constitution are guaranteed freedom from cruel and unusual punishment.

Holub said the county is working on seeking a warehouse and distribution center business.

In an accompanying written statement, Epp called upon Marion County to seek joining with neighboring counties to secede from Kansas.

The commissioners were notified that the planning and zoning meeting that was to be held Thursday night was canceled because of ice and snow.

Cardie Oil of Tampa was awarded an area fuel bid contract by commissioners for $15,433.45 over a competitive bid of $15,670.05 from Cooperative Grain of Hillsboro.

Rollin Schmidt, noxious weed, household hazardous waste and transfer station director, said the State of Kansas has done a new release of bindweed gall mites at Timber and 240th roads to control bindweed.

According to researchers, the mite can attack bindweed leaves, but the female also lays its eggs in the roots with the larvae emerging to feed on the plant.

Schmidt said another biological control-musk thistle weevil released by the state 30 years ago-is now having great success. A high percentage of musk thistle seed is rotted at maturity because of the weevils, he said.

Schmidt is investigating boundaries for a chain-link fence around the transfer station including the City of Marion's intentions on whether Spruce Street on the western border of the station will ever be opened.

Schmidt and Road and Bridge Director Jim Herzet said the county crew will be trimming trees from ditches this winter, and that treatment of stumps with the herbicide Tordon is effective even when trees are dormant.

Health Department Director Diedre Serene and Treasurer Jeannine Bateman outlined for commissioners how they will account for Emergency Preparedness and Response Contract grant funds, also known as bioterrorism funds, in payments under rules that require any more than $100 interest to be returned to the state.