McLain resigned because of health considerations.

Commissioner Jim Crofoot moved to accept appointment of Hayen with a second from Mayor Martin Tice, and no discussion.

Hayen said he has missed serving on the commission, and would look forward to doing the work again.

City administrator David Mayfield warned that anyone with an aquarium project or tropical fish needs to take precautions to protect them because the city will begin a water ammonia treatment next Monday that could kill fish.

He said the city received a beneficial decision from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment to allow a delay in second-quarter reports so water can be tested after the treatment, therefore avoiding the requirement of sending out a letter warning of potentially hazardous water.

The commissioners approved an ordinance effective July 15 that sets new electrical rates to meet Westar price increases of a residential base rate of $5 plus $.093 per kilowatt-hour and a commercial base rate of $6 plus $.093 per kilowatt-hour.

The commissioners approved a $115,536 contract with Hett Construction Company for curb and guttering, and resurfacing, of Lawrence Street. The cost could run to $121,000 under five-percent increase allowances for concrete volume. The cost also could go down under the contract if concrete volume runs lower than expected, they said.

The commissioners and city attorney Dan Baldwin said they were willing to proceed with such a contract because of the personal confidence they feel with the work history of owner Dave Hett.

Crofoot said he would like to thank the city employees, the school districts and the Chingawassa Days committee for the great effort they all made during Chingawassa Days.

Public works director Harvey Sanders said the event took most of the city crew's time last week, but since then, workers have replaced three electrical transformers, and worked on a water leak in the 200 block of Locust Street.

The commissioners authorized a public hearing regarding condemnation proceedings against a house at 1018 Denver St.

The commissioners approved four fireworks-stand applications for the Fourth of July, for Mary's Enterprises at 147 Main Street (Al's Home Repair), Country Fireworks at 1500 Sandstone (Highway 56 Car Wash), and for Wholesale Fireworks Inc. at both 1111 East Main (Marion Auto Mart) and 1228 Commercial Drive (Seacat True Value).

Mayfield said that he, Sanders and Christian Pedersen will be attending a public information officers course for communities in the same "red district" that goes from Hillsboro to the Missouri border. The course is for communities under Kansas Emergency Management that are expected to offer aid to each other in times of disaster.

Herington is in the "blue district," the next one north, although Sanders said it was actually a community Marion would call on in times of need.

At a meeting last Tuesday, Crofoot and Tice determined to move ahead on plans to hire an economic development director sometime in the next six months, an office that they believe might require a budget in the $90,000 to $95,000 range.

They received encouragement from onlookers, and Crofoot said he also was encouraged "by the county getting on board to do something."

He said, "I think we need to move ahead with it if the town is to grow, and prosper."

Tice said, "I'm ready to move ahead with it. I think it's something we need to do."

The two commissioners said they would wait to move forward until appointment of a third commissioner, which happened with Hayen Monday.

County Commissioner Dan Holub reported that for the county to hard-surface its half-mile portion of Eisenhower, plus add curb and guttering, could be a million-dollar project, not something likely to get done without outside help.

The commissioners approved paying warrants for $90,041.79.