Commissioners say ‘no mill-levy increase’ to fund 2008 budget

The Marion County Commission voted 3-0 Monday that there would be no mill levy increase in the 2008 budget.

Tom Brown of Savant Services in McPherson urged the commission to continue to develop a strategic plan even to the point of deciding which county blacktop roads might be turned to gravel if oil prices continue to rise.

Brown said the commissioners should work with the road and bridge department to decide which roads will remain hard surfaced no matter what, and which roads may not. He said, this infrastructure and services component is one-third of a strategic plan for the county.

Brown said the other two components to be looked at are economic vitality and quality of life. He will be working with Teresa Huffman, economic development director on these components, and she promised a job and business fair to help.

Brown, who consults with the county on a regular basis, will be off for a year?s consulting work in China, but will return for a break to talk to the commission about the plan in February.

Tom Holub and Dennis Maggard, road and bridge supervisors, told commissioners the department has one more week to go before the Roxbury Road is complete, and then they would like to go on to rework the four miles now in hard surface road leading into Tampa.

Holub said the four miles of road rennovation, which will cost more than $10,000 a mile, will begin with tearing up the existing surface. Then a mix of 56 tons of large rock mixed with 19.25 tons of millings will be laid down to provide a better base to improve the road, he said. On top of that, road and bridge will lay 27 tons of road rock.

Tony Randell of architectural consulting company Law/King?don Inc. of Wichita told commissioners the first phase of bring?ing the jail up to state fire marshall requirements likely will cost more than $10,000.

Randell said one company showed up at a bid meeting to do the required work, and he is awaiting its estimate.

The commissioners said they will work with farmers who are concerned about how starting construction on Sunflower Road south from Marion in October might impact fall harvest.

The commissioners directed Huffman to get bids for a small, energy-efficient new car from all three car dealers in Hillsboro rather than continue to show representatives of companies that might settle in Marion County around in county cars that need repair with over 150,000 miles on them.

Commission Chairman Randy Dallke interupted a motion from Commissioner Bob Hein to ask that he be allowed to move approval for location of a U.S. Cellular tower one mile south of Florence, a part of Dallke?s commission district.

The motion passed 3-0 with assurances from a U.S. Cellular representative that county emergency communications equipment will be allowed on the tower at a nominal price.

The commissioners supported the county zoning board?s position in denying Jimmy Klaassen a two-year conditional use permit for cleaning up an illegal salvage operation at 1654 50th Road. The commissioners said Klaassen is an experienced salvage yard operator who knew what he was doing beginning the operation.

They also approved temporary location of a single-wide modular home on a farm for health reasons to house an elderly parent.

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