Marion County Commission asked Transfer Station Director Rollin Schmidt Monday to prepare a plan for a county recycling program.

The commission approved a contract with Sonoco to take the county’s recyclable goods Jan. 26. Since then, Schmidt has contacted towns to try to arrange a schedule for recycling drop-offs.

Neither a schedule nor a decision about what goods to accept has been made, Schmidt said.

“I need to know I’m doing the right thing,” Schmidt said.

Commissioner Randy Dallke said he was concerned that nobody had told him how much they were willing to spend on recycling.

Commission Chairman Dan Holub said he didn’t want to recycle if it would cost more money than sending the goods to a landfill.

Holub said smaller towns had shown a high interest in a recycling program, but experience would be the only way to learn what the county can reasonably do.

“We need to start and see what works,” Holub said.

Schmidt said he would try to have a plan drafted by the next commission meeting, Tuesday.

In other business:

• Marion County sent 591 tons of solid waste to the landfill in Butler County in January. The average cost per ton for hauling and landfill fees was $40.71. There were 510 tons of municipal solid waste and 81 tons of construction and demolition debris.
• Water samples taken by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment at the closed landfill were good, County Clerk Carol Maggard said.
• Commission spent 10 minutes in closed session with Road and Bridge Superintendent John Summerville. No action was taken on return to open session.
• BG Consultants of Manhattan will prepare a plan to prepare for bids of a generator installation at the county courthouse for a fee not to exceed $8,000.
• A fishing derby will be March 2 at the heated dock at the Marion County Lake.
• Commission went into closed session with Emergency Management and Communications Director Michele Abbott-Becker and Sheriff Rob Craft for five minutes to discuss personnel. No action was taken on return to open session.
• Salary change sheets for two new officers were approved. Reserve officer Gary Close will earn $10 per hour, and reserve officer and transporter Caroline Kelly will earn $8 per hour.
• Douglas and Shirley Balzer were granted a six-month extension to complete work for the county neighborhood revitalization program.
• Robert Gerety received a one-year extension for the revitalization program.