County Clerk Carol Maggard said that if there is to be any change in holding the special election, which she now estimates will cost the county $9,166.92, it needs to be made immediately to stop her preparations to get ballots printed and prepare workers.

The money the county spends toward having the election can now grow daily, she said, so if there is to be a change she needs it done.

Commission Chairman Bob Hein said he has been trying to contact former Wichita Mayor Bob Knight concerning his commitments for having a casino, but he has had no return call yet.

Knight appeared before the commissioners two weeks ago with his plans for a hotel and gambling casino complex that he said Marion County had a chance of getting, even though Harvey and Sumner Counties also were holding elections on the subject.

Protesters came to last week's Commission meeting charging that Knight had charmed commissioners with salesmanship when his real target was to pressure Sedgwick County into hosting the casino. Park City officials were in the news at the time, insisting that their Sedgwick County location was still a viable place for the casino.

Hein said since then, he has heard that the community of Sedgwick in Harvey County is making an effort to get the casino, and Saline County is targeting Knight to locate the gambling resort on Interstate 70.

Hein, along with commissioners Dan Holub and Randy Dallke, appeared to want reassurances from Knight that Marion County is a real contender for location of a casino. The commissioners also appeared to want to reassure county residents that they have exercised due diligence before approving the expense of an election.

Maggard, in reviewing where funds for the election will come from, is looking at money from the county's risk management fund or general fund for Commission approval. She said $34,000 for mold remediation in the courthouse, which is underway now, likely will pull balances down, as well as a potentially similar amount of funding for reconstruction because of mold and its elimination.

Peggy Blackman told commissioners they may soon need to come up with a half-mill to a full mill of funding to protect a big economic and natural resource the county already has, Marion Reservoir.

Blackman works in the Natural Resource and Conservation Service office in Marion, and has been working on the Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy Project, called WRAPS, for Marion Reservoir.

Blackman said thousands of dollars in funding from both local and federal sources may be necessary to turn the lake back to a more pristine condition-considering that one of the last studies done, in 1982, showed the Reservoir already was 30 years ahead of time in sedimentation load.

This became more apparent to the public, she said, in 2003, with the blue-green algae public health crisis that developed from years of nutrient loaded sediment coming into the lake from the watershed.

Even last summer there was a 75-foot to 100-foot-wide "river of blue-green algae" developed in the Reservoir, she said, which was finally halted from further development when heavy rains raised turbidity reduce sunlight through the water.

A frequently suggested solution to chemically treat the lake for algae is unacceptable, Blackman said, because it would raise toxicity levels. She said the ultimate solution may have to be dredging of sediment from the lake, but in the meantime the best long-term fix is with improved "best management practices," or BMP's on cropland and pastureland to halt increased sedimentation and nutrient run-off.

Blackman said expenses for studies to determine sedimentation rates and natural phosphorus levels must be conducted to have an effective program.

Holub asked why a government agency like the Corps of Engineers would build a structure like the Reservoir and then leave it without real plans to rebuild it.

Blackman said that happens because the federal agencies also are asked to respond to disasters like hurricanes, plus money budgeted for such projects gets taken for other Congressional priorities.

She said Marion County must be among the first players to save the Reservoir because of its importance here. She said in 2000, the last year such figures are available from, 415,000 persons visited the Reservoir, spending $6.8 million within 30 miles of it.

About 56 percent of this went into the local economy, yielding $3.82 million in direct sales to tourism-related firms, which generated $1.44 million in direct personal income and supported nearly 110 direct jobs. The multiplier effect raised this to $4.95 million total sales, $1.81 million in total personal income, and supported about 127 jobs, she said.

Landowners and agricultural producers paid 30 percent or $137,246 of WRAPS BMPS since 2003 of $252,207 spent.

Since the Reservoir has been constructed, Blackman said it has saved $162.8 million in flood damage, and it provides 15,000 with a public water source.

Hein said before taxpayers would accept any added tax burden to save the Reservoir,, they would need to fully support its vitality for everyone.

Holub suggested that governments from Chase County on downstream to Emporia might have to join in efforts for the Reservoir because it also is important for them.

Blackman said the Kansas Water Office likely will respond with more funding for the Reservoir if it sees initiative from local governments.

The commissioners reviewed deed restrictions for the land where the old landfill recently was closed southwest of Marion that must be approved to meet Kansas Department of Health and Environment requirements.

Dallke questioned whether such restrictions are necessary.

Sanitarian David Brazil, who has represented the county in closing the landfill, said an exception that allows county use of the land for such things as equipment storage helps make it more flexible. He said the restrictions will end in 30 years, making it possible even to do such things as build homes there except right on the disposal cells.

The commissioners directed Brazil to ask road and bridge to measure an area west of Marion where a landowner is thought to be encroaching on public right of way with "junk vehicles."

Maggard said the cash position of the county Oct. 31 stood at $6,583,085.83 with $924,244.23 in the general fund and $1,081,215.28 in road and bridge.

The motor vehicle fund balance in the treasurer's office stood at $72,023.32.

After a 20-minute executive session with Lloyd Davies of Great Plains Computers, the commissioners approved 3-0 shut-down of computer loads to external sources because of improper use, and suspended any other use without approval of the courthouse technical committee.

The commissioners approved a letter of support for the City of Peabody requested by Joanna Brazil regarding city planning for grants under its strategic plan. Brazil said goals include more signage, economic development and "street scaping."

Road and Bridge Director Jim Herzet said he and a consulting engineer from the firm of Kirkham Michael came up with an estimate of $21,014.50 for 36,265 square feet of overlay-varying from 2-inch crown to 1-inch sides-from the bridge west to the railroad tracks in Peabody with costs to be shared with the city.

Herzet clarified at the request of Dallke that road patching will be done at the end of this week on 40 Road between Timber and U.S. Highway 77.

Herzet has 13 surplus snow plows for use on road graders, which are outmoded for use on current equipment, that his department will donate to cities with graders in the county, or haul away for scrap metal sales.

The commissioners were in executive session for personnel for 20 minutes with Cindy Magill, county appraiser.

They will be inspecting noxious weed and household hazardous waste equipment and building for maintenance upgrade in the wake of resignation of the department's head, Bill Smithhart, last week.