Marion's new city council members took office Monday following a non-public orientation meeting that Mayor Martin Tice said was legal because the councilmen hadn't sworn in yet.
With their swearing in by City Clerk Angela Lange, the city changed government forms from a three-member commission to a five-member council.
The outgoing commissioners, Jim Crofoot and Max Hayen, wished the four new councilors- Stacey Collett, Bill Holdeman, Jerry Kline, and Gene Winkler-to move forward with continuous positive government.
Crofoot said in his 15 years on the commission he had seen a lot of good things develop for the city, and he would like to see them continue.
The new councilors tabled action on changing time and day for the meeting. City Administrator David Mayfield said under a commission government, meetings were required weekly, and set at 4 p.m. Mondays. But under a council government, he said, meetings could be moved to once or twice monthly.
Holdeman favored 7 p.m. meetings, and there were suggestions for moving meetings to Tuesdays.
Winkler warned of conflicting with sporting events with the day change, and Development Director Jami Williams pointed out that persons with children might not want to return very late for meetings.
Collett like the time after 5 p.m. while Kline favored 6 p.m.
Mayfield told the councilors that to make room for them, and perhaps for the unusually large crowd that turned out Monday, the old commission room would need to have a wall knocked out, and be remodeled at an approximate cost of $5,000.
The councilors decided to consider the idea for a week although there seemed to be a leaning toward continuing to meet in the city building basement.
The councilmen voted 5-0 to appoint Mayfield director two with Public Works Director Harvey Sanders in the office of director one and Street Superintendent Marty Fredrickson as alternate to the Kansas Municipal Energy Agency.
Holdeman was named to serve a year first on the Economic Development Advisory Board.
Following a half-hour executive session for personnel, Mayfield was reappointed city administrator, Lange was reappointed city clerk, Becky Makovec was appointed city treasurer, Mike Regnier was reappointed fire chief.
