Strait, who is director of planning and zoning and environmental health, said she has had two complaints of salvage yards that have vehicles parked on county road right-of-way less than a mile apart.

She said Jim Herzet, road and bridge director, is involved in the effort to have the vehicles moved, and the state of Kansas will start an investigation next week.

Commission Chair Dan Holub said the salvage yards involved also are not screened from public view by fencing or trees, as is required by state law.

Strait said the issue is related to another consideration of what the commissioners may wish to adapt as a public sanitation code. They could require that fewer than 10 vehicles on anyone's land, a number smaller than covered by state codes, have to be tagged and insured, or removed, she said.

Such vehicles can harbor rodents or, with water collection, become breeding grounds for mosquitoes and flies, she said.

Strait said she may also become involved in a case where a home is surrounded by high weeds with apparently a number of dogs inside the house.

Strait said Eileen Sieger, chair of the Marion County Planning Commission, has called a special meeting for 7:30 p.m. Aug. 31 to consider conflicting language in county zoning rules.

Strait said the conflict concerns language that says any five-acre plot for a rural residence must come from a 40-acre plot when the county commission directed that it be changed to any where from a section of land as long as maximum housing density rules aren't violated.

She suggested the county commissioners attend the meeting, and noted that it would have to be open to the public.

Holub said, "I thought all the references to 40-acre lot size were gone (in the regulations). What are we going to have to do-read through them one line at a time?"

Recycling exploration

Rollin Schmidt, director noxious weed, household hazardous waste and transfer station, told commissioners he is following their directive investigating recycling programs that might result in county-wide recycling here.

The commissioners encouraged Schmidt because recycling could reduce the bill for shipping solid waste from the county.

Schmidt said he is investigating getting a grant for recycling trailers that could be parked in communities for gathering materials.

He visited officials in Chase County, which has two such trailers collecting recyclables which are then sent to the City of Emporia. He will visit Morris County this week "to see what they are doing."

Commissioner Randy Dallke said the county could have a problem in catching everybody up to the same level of recycling when communities like Peabody and Hillsboro already have active programs.

Schmidt said everybody he has talked to advises Marion County to "take it slow; don't try to jump into a program to do everything at once."

Holub said the county could experience significant savings starting with just a single item like cardboard.

Old landfill fuel source

In a related item, Jack Chappelle of Engineering Solutions & Design Inc., of Overland Park, project engineer for the county on closing the old landfill southwest of Marion, briefly discussed collecting methane for fuel from the landfill in answer to questions from commissioners.

He said the landfill is too small for sustained methane production, although an economically viable production process could be started by running water through it for quicker breakdown of materials. That could be followed up with replacement of the materials for more gas production.

Chappelle said it would be a major undertaking with more than $100,000 in startup costs.

He came to the commissioners Monday with bids for gas and water monitoring wells and equipment that have to be provided at the landfill to meet Kansas Department of Health and Environment standards.

Other business

The commissioners voted 3-0 to go with a single bid submitted from Geotechnical Services, Inc., of Wichita for gas monitoring wells that was $687.50 below engineer's estimate at $3,687.50 for five wells.

In addition, the commissioners approved purchase of an ATX612 multi-gas aspirated monitor with a datalogger from MidContinent Safety of Wichita at $3,035. Chappelle said he would speak with officials in McPherson County late Monday to see if they would like to share this piece of equipment with Marion County.

The commissioners received bids for water wells too, but asked that release of those numbers be delayed until more bids are received.

The commissioners approved a Labor Day fireworks display at Marion County Lake by the county fire departments.

The commissioners approved a bridge inspection bid of $41.50 a bridge on about 300 county bridges from the firm of Cooke, Flatt and Strobel of Topeka.

The commissioners authorized Darryl Thiesen, emergency medical services director, to purchase a demonstrator model ambulance with 7,000 miles on it for $94,495 providing it passes his inspection. The unit will be stationed at Marion.

Thiesen said the ambulance would needed to be painted with an appropriate insignia at Jefferson City, Mo., after purchase.