By PHYLLIS ZORN

Staff writer

Marion City Council on Monday took on the county’s waffling over where, and whether, to build a transfer station.

Administrator Roger Holter suggested council members attach a time limit to their earlier offer to sell the county land for a new transfer station on Washington St. for $6,500.

Holter told the council that commissioners earlier in the day had discussed not even building a transfer station and instead requiring cities and rural residents to make their own arrangements for trash disposal.

Mayor Todd Heitschmidt asked commissioner Dianne Novak, who was in the audience: “So basically the county does not know which direction they are going to go at all, is that right, Dianne?”

“Right on,” Novak said.

Instead of setting a time limit, the council voted to rescind its offer to sell the Washington St. property.

Water problems

Council members also approved mailing residents an infographic on issues caused by iron and manganese deposits in water serving 43 blocks of the city.

Replacing the water lines in question would cost the city an estimated $2.75 million. The city has applied for federal grants, but other communities with worse problems are more likely to get any money available, Holter said.

Upgrading the water system could raise water fees by $16.04 per month, he said. As an interim solution, city crews are flushing water lines.

In other business, the council approved:

• Purchasing from Midway Motors a $30,727 Chevrolet pickup for use as a fire command vehicle.
• Purchasing an $8,273 mower from Ag Power/Carquest in Hillsboro for the cemetery.
• A revised ordinance prohibiting Staffordshire bull terriers, American pit bull terriers, Rottweilers, and any animal listed on American Kennel Club registration or by DNA testing as 51 percent or more of any of those breeds from being kept in city limits. Councilman John Wheeler voted against the ordinance.
• An ordinance reducing electric rates because the Kansas Municipal Power Pool has reduced rates. Base rates will be $12 for residential customers and $14 for commercial customers, and .1298 per kilowatt.