The Marion County Board of Commissioners met on Monday, March 13 beginning at 10 a.m. for a full day of executive sessions for department head reviews. In the afternoon they conducted administrative business and heard department updates as well as met in multiple executive sessions.
The afternoon opened with department business updates from Weed/HHW/Transfer Station/Recycle Director Josh Housman. Housman presented an annual noxious weed eradication progress report for the state to the board to approve and sign. He said that the department sprayed more this past year than they have in many years.
The board approved the report.
Housman also presented the 2023 Management Plan for Marion County. The board approved and signed it.
Health Department Director Krista Schneider met with the board to finish the discussion for a grant that she would like to apply for. Schneider told the board last week that KDHE has notified her that the final date to expand the COVID-19 grants (Expanding Infrastructure, IAP3, IAP4) has been extended to July 31, 2024.
“We have ‘ear tagged’ a portion of those funds for carryover in the 2024 state fiscal year which is July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024,” she said.
The board approved the grant application.
The next meeting will be on Monday, March 20.
In other business, the board:
- received copies of the job description and other paperwork regarding the Department of Aging Director position since Gayla Ratzlaff resigned last week. They will update the paperwork and then post the position.
- approved Tracy Roberts for the Planning and Zoning Commission District 3 position.
- met in executive session for personnel performance with Housman.
- heard department update from Park and Lake Department Superintendent Isaac Hett. Mower bids were announced and then thrown out in order to include another provider in Marion County.
- met in executive session for personnel performance with Hett.
- met in executive session for personnel performance with Schneider.
- heard department updates from Road and Bridge County Engineer Brice Goebel. The board approved Goebel applying for a cost-share program for the Nighthawk and Remington Project for $2.2 million with the county providing a 50% match of $1.1 million.
- met in executive session to discuss pending litigation with the board and County Counselor Brad Jantz.
- met in multiple executive sessions to discuss personnel matters.
