Staff writer
The Marion City Council, minus council members Steve Smith and Chris Meierhoff who were responding as emergency workers at a car accident, approved the Marion Park board’s request to begin raising funds for a new gazebo Tuesday.
Todd Heitschmidt represented the park board and said he wanted to start raising funds for a new gazebo by Old Settlers Day. The current gazebo is infested with termites, he said.
The project also includes bathroom renovation, because the current bathrooms for the park are in the gazebo. Council members briefly asked if the restrooms and gazebo needed to be in the same building. Heitschmidt responded that the park board has discussed separating the two facilities.
Regardless, he said the project would cost well over $125,000.
“I’ve been behind this one since the word go,” Mayor Mary Olson said.
Pole attachment agreement
Marion administrator Doug Kjellin said he expects the city to bring in an additional $1,000 to $1,200 for a communications pole agreement with Eagle Communications. The council approved the agreement Tuesday.
Kjellin said the city had not taken advantage of a similar policy where Eagle allows a cooperating city to charge $1 per pole attachment. Kjellin estimates the city features 1,200 poles.
Appointments
Olson appointed Prairieland Partners manager Chad Gormley to the planning board.
The board approved Kjellin’s appointment as Marion’s voting representative for the League of Kansas Municipalities. The LKM annual conference is Oct. 8-10 in Wichita.
Peddler’s agreement
The council approved an updated ordinance regulating peddlers and solicitors in the city of Marion.
Peddlers must obtain a license, the fee of which is $10 per day but not in excess of $100 during any six-month period.
The ordinance does not apply to any person selling products from the sellers farm or orchard, any businesses which are part of fairs or celebrations sponsored by the city or other government subdivision, or not-for-profit organizations including charities and religious organizations.
In other business:
- The council held two executive sessions. One discussed attorney client privilege for periods of 10 and four minutes. The other was a 15-minute session for personnel. No action was taken after either session.
- Kjellin set up a budgetary workshop with council members for 3:30 Monday.
- The council approved the city warrant in the consent agenda worth $182,939. Olson went through the city’s finances one by one at the meeting. “Just every once in a while we’re letting the public know we’re looking over the warrant sheet,” she said.