Commissioners approve budget with 1 mill increase

The Marion County Commis?sion Monday approved the 2013 budget and its one mill increase.

Commissioner Roger Fleming explained that the increase gives the commissioners flexibility in having funds available for such things as road improvements in the future.

Commissioner Randy Dallke said, ?Just because we have it in the budget doesn?t mean we have to spend it.?

But, he said, it does mean commissioners will have the funds available for road upgrades and maintenance.

Fleming noted that ?we?ve done all we can do? in regard to locating a tall communications tower at the new county jail.

Emergency Management Director Dan D?Albini said Darvin Markley filed an appeal on the proposed tower location at the new county jail as the officer representing the City of Marion zoning committee, and that now the appeal is up to resolution with the Marion City Council.

He and the commissioners discussed that with repeat appeals the location of the emergency tower could be delayed into the first of 2013 forcing emergency communications to perform in more awkward circumstances relative to law offices from its current location at the old jail.

Dallke asked D?Albini to notify and help set a time for a meeting of Marion County personnel with Dickinson County and Herington emergency personnel to discuss improving response should an accident like the one near Herington last week occur again.

The commissioners voted 2-0 in the absence of Commission Chairman Dan Holub to approve purchasing $2,951 in liability insurance to conform with state requirements for D&L Enterprises of Marion to complete its $13,800 fencing job at Marion County Lake.

The commissioners approved a road and bridge transport fuel bid of $27,547.50 for 5,500 gallons of diesel and 2,500 gallons of unleaded gasoline from Cardie Oil of Tampa over a competitive bid of $27,672.50 from Cooperative Grain at Hillsboro.

The commissioners approved County Attorney Susan Robson beginning tax foreclosure on the motel at Florence in order to give the county the right to sell the apparently abandoned property for an upgraded motel development.

Emergency response at Florence notified the commissioners that it is on stand-by status only during daytime hours because qualified first responder attendants have had to take daytime work outside the county. The commissioners extended the county burn ban for another week due to continuing dry weather.

The commissioners received notice from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment that its twice annual inspections of the closed Marion County Landfill will be reduced to once annual inspection due to favorable reports there thus saving the county one annual fee.

The commissioners approved a payment of $61,317.90 to Lloyd Builders of Ottawa on the new jail in response to an oversight noted in the clerk?s office on the payment schedule.

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