Paddleboat available to rent at county lake

By ADAM STEWART

Staff writer

Marion County Commission set dates and times Monday for holiday fireworks displays in rural portions of the county.

June 27 through 30, fireworks will be permissible from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Hours will increase to 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. July 1 through 3, and from 8 a.m. to midnight July 4. Hours will be reduced to 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. July 5.

The county regulations apply only outside city limits. Each city sets its own hours for fireworks displays.

Paddleboat available

A paddleboat donated by someone who wished to remain anonymous will be available for hourly rental at Marion County Park and Lake.

The only expense to the county will be $50 per year to add it to the county’s insurance, Park and Lake Superintendent Steve Hudson said. The county has lifejackets, which renters will be required to wear.

Hudson said he had checked with other lakes and found that $10 per hour was a typical fee.

The paddleboat will be available from sunrise to sunset, and renters will be required to keep it inside the no-wake zone around the main docks and beach cove, Hudson said after the meeting.

If renters frequently break the rules, the county can cease rentals, Hudson said.

Testing in May indicated that the lake remained free of invasive zebra mussels, Hudson said.

In other business:

• Commissioner Dan Holub said he spoke with officials from several cities who were excited about a change to the county’s recycling program, placing bins in cities excluding Marion, Hillsboro, and Peabody. Transfer Station Director Rollin Schmidt said Stutzman Refuse Disposal is OK with the commission’s proposed six-month trial period but would like a three-year contract if it works.
• Schmidt met with the commission in closed session for five minutes to discuss personnel. On return to open session, the commission authorized him to hire a part-time weed sprayer. The commission met two other times in closed session for 25 minutes to discuss personnel.
• The commission approved a solid waste collection fee resolution for 2012 with no changes from 2011.
• Lee Vogel was hired as a full-time jailer for the county jail, at a pay rate of $10 per hour. He replaces Braden Suffield, who is becoming a part-time jailer. Suffield’s pay rate decreased from $11.30 to $10.60 per hour.
• Laura Robinson was hired as a part-time office assistant in the county attorney’s office, at a pay rate of $8 per hour.
• The county will provide $3,000 to Kansas Legal Services of Emporia. The non-profit firm provides legal services to people seeking disability payments. The firm requested $4,000, but the county has provided $3,000 per year for several years.

The next scheduled commission meeting is Monday.