By ADAM STEWART

Staff writer

Marion County Commission approved a bid Monday to fence in an exercise yard at the county jail.

Sheriff Rob Craft said it was difficult to find bidders for the project. He had two bids from Kevin Carter Construction of Hillsboro.

Both bids were for a chain-link fence with three strands of barbed wire at the top with posts in concrete. The bid for a six-foot fence was $5,213 and $6,065 for an eight-foot fence. Craft preferred an eight-foot fence.

Inmates will be supervised while in the exercise yard, Craft said. It will be about 30 feet by 20 feet on the south side of the jail.

Craft will seek bids for privacy inserts for the fence.

In other business:

• Hauling solid waste to Butler County Landfill is saving money, Transfer Station Director Rollin Schmidt said. The cost per ton for fuel, a driver, and tipping fees was $35.78 in March. The cost to send waste to Hamm Landfill with Robinson Trucking would have been $36.25 per ton. The transfer station sent 550 tons of municipal solid waste and 114 tons of construction and demolition debris to Butler County Landfill in March.
• Park and Lake Director Steve Hudson will purchase trees for Marion County Park and Lake. Donors gave a total of about $1,500 to purchase trees, Hudson said. Funds also will pay to support the trees with mulch and tie-downs to protect the trees in high winds.
• Commission met in closed session for five minutes to discuss personnel. No action was taken on return to open session.
• The next commission meeting will be 9 a.m. Monday.