Managing editor
An electrical generation plant may be in the works for this part of the state.
Marion City Administrator David Mayfield told Marion City Council Monday he and public works director Harvey Sanders recently attended a meeting and talked about the possibility.
Other municipalities and organizations were in attendance at the meeting and discussed options related to an electrical generation plant.
The city has a contract with Westar Energy but it will come due in the near future. Marion is among other municipalities concerned about contracts with the large power supplier. One concern is the city being locked into a long-term contract which would exclude any other source of electrical power during that time.
Mayfield said a feasibility study would be needed and any possibility of such a project could be as many as 10 years down the road.
In other business:
- Marion County Improvement District #2 soon will be notified the city continues to seek a water bill for nearly $4,000 from the utility. City attorney Dan Baldwin was instructed to file a lawsuit if necessary.
- City zoning administrator Marty Fredrickson reported the city planning commission will meet at 7 p.m. Dec. 30 to discuss two applications — rezoning of the former Elgin Apartments and a conditional use permit for Auto House.
- Discussion of the city administrator position description was tabled again until the next meeting.
- The council approved five ordinances. Ordinance 1294 allowed the repeal of outdated ordinances regarding fees charged to businesses with coin-operated machines and bowling alleys. Ordinance 1295 will allow a conditional use permit for towing and recovery services in town. Ordinance 1296 changed the size of accessory buildings from 600 square feet to 1,200 square feet in residential district. The adoption of ordinance 1297 was necessary to repeal a previous ordinance related to accessory buildings.
- The commission entered a 30-minute executive session to discuss personnel. The meeting reconvened with no decisions.
The next council meeting is at 4:30 p.m. Dec. 29 at the city building.