Staff writer
Marion County Commissioners voted Monday to hire engineering firm Kirkham Michael Inc. to do preliminary work for an asphalt road from K-15 into Tampa on 330th Road.
Kirkham Michael bid $8,500 for the preliminary work. Cook, Flatt & Strobel Engineers, P.A., bid $14,600.
Preliminary work will include estimating costs and assisting the county in applying for a loan for the project from Kansas Department of Transportation.
In other business:
- Oil refineries in McPherson and Coffeyville are suing TransCanada, the parent company of the Keystone Pipeline, Rep. J. Robert Brookens said.
- Chase Carlson and Nathan Bishop were hired as summer Road and Bridge Department help at a rate of $9 per hour.
- Road and Bridge Superintendent Jim Herzet will seek proposals for a 500-gallon fuel trailer. The trailer would save the county time transporting fuel to projects, like a current project near Peabody using 300 gallons of fuel each day.
- Equipment operators will inspect proposals for lawn mowers before commissioners select mowers to purchase for the courthouse grounds and Marion County Park and Lake. Burns Hardware, G&R Implement, Hillsboro True Value, Prairieland Partners, and Straub International submitted bids.
- Commissioners reviewed an environmental report for a beauty salon that is seeking funds through a revolving loan fund.
- Creek Electric informed commissioners that it would be unable to fix issues in two circuit boxes at the courthouse at the price of their original proposal. The wiring is too haphazard. Creek Electric will refund the county about $800 for that work and prepare a new proposal.
- Two computers in the Sheriff’s Department were damaged by a lightning strike May 19.
- Amy Pharis was hired as a 911 systems operator at a wage of $11 per hour.
- Corrections officer Larry J. Cushenbery received a raise from $10.30 to $10.75 per hour for increased duties.
- Sheriff’s Department office manager Sarah Cope received a raise from $2,051 to $2,101 for working in her position six months.
- Commissioners met in closed session to review employee evaluations and conduct department head evaluations.
The commission will meet Friday for payday because Memorial Day is Monday.