Emma Tajchman of Marion was announced as the new county planning and zoning director at the regular commission meeting Monday.
Tajchman succeeds Tonya Richards, who resigned.
Commission Chair Randy Dallke said Tajchman, who has been working as an insurance agent, will assume her duties after filling dates already set for her children’s activities.
She is already, and has had previous experience working in, planning and zoning, Dallke said.
Until Tajchman begins full-time county work, the commissioners have named Lisa Davies, Geary County sanitarian and environmental health director, to act in the planning and zoning position to fulfill ongoing applications.
The commissioners told Davies in the meeting that she is responsible for keeping her own hours, and reporting sequential pay due to the county. Davies said Geary County commissioners are amenable to the proposal, and understand the need to help Marion County at this time.
Commission Dan Holub said the Marion commissioners have high regard for the Geary commissioners.
Davies said she also works part time on behalf of Morris County out of Council Grove.
After one executive session to consider road and bridge personnel for 20 minutes, and later a second 10-minute executive session for road and bridge personnel, Dallke announced the commissioners are prepared to offer the job of road and bridge director, but cannot announce a name until that person has accepted the position.
The commissioners asked Bud Druse, transfer station director, to study requirements and a design for a new waste transfer station that eventually would be located at the road and bridge south shops.
The commissioners told Druse they would like to see him, in his capacity as noxious weed director, to alternate herbicide treatments for sunflowers on different sections of roadway to check for effectiveness.
The commissioners approved refilling a chemical bid for Tordon 22k herbicide from Van Diest of $2,445.56 because Druse said high demand for the first order depleted it.
After a 20-minute executive session for personnel with County Treasurer Jeannine Bateman, the commissioners agreed to allow Bateman to transfer a person borrowed for half time from the county clerk’s office back to the clerk, and to allow her to fill a position at full time.
County Attorney Susan Robson and the commissioners went into executive session for attorney-client privilege for five minutes.
Robson said she will study how best the county can allow sale of vacant lots to adjoining residents when they have failed to sell permanently at tax auctions.
