Hunters approved for former landfill
Staff writer
Marion County Commission approved Monday that anyone could hunt upland game on the land that was formerly the Marion County Landfill Monday.
The land will still be restricted to one person with two guests but it can be hunted by anyone during the appropriate upland game seasons with county approval.
Originally, the land, still owned by the county, was restricted strictly to youth and disabled hunters. Deer season will remain that way.
“I started looking for some place for these kids to go with a high quality experience and limited access,” Dale Ellers of Quail Forever said.
Ellers prepares the land by clearing trees, conducting appropriate burns, and planting food plots to attract game to the land. Ellers described the land as an enhanced habitat.
“If you build it, they will come,” Ellers said.
Quail Forever works on a volunteer basis. He works closely with Jeff Rue and other representatives of Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks to create a healthy biological environment for game.
Interested hunters can apply for special hunting permits to hunt on the land at the end of July.
In other business:
- The commission approved the solid waste assessment fee resolution. The resolution states that there will not be appeals for part-time residents. Every residential or rural property will pay an annual $81 fee. Commercial properties are placed on a sliding scale with $132 a year for one trash bin to $660 a year for operations with six units or more.
- The commission approved paying $5,500 to Marion County Special Education Cooperative for school and child health screenings.
- The commission approved a bid from Flint Hills Builders for the announcers’ stand for the Marion County Fairgrounds. The bid was for $720.
- Marion County valuations are up more than $3.7 million to $112,585,811 for 2012 County Clerk Carol Maggard said. Commissioners will use that figure to determine a budget for 2013. The increase in valuations will account to $246,000 per mill, Maggard said.
- Dan Baldwin was named as a second assistant county attorney. He joins Brian Bina in assisting Susan Robson.
- The county will receive $29,830 in payment in lieu of taxes for land near Marion Reservoir that is no longer taxable.