Changes may be made to county's burn policy
Marion County Commission reviewed the county's regulations Monday regarding controlled burning.
Emergency communications director Michelle Abbott-Becker read the resolution that stated agricultural burning was permitted if wind speeds are more than five mph and less than 20.
Abbott-Becker clarified that when the county communications office is notified of a controlled burn, the caller is told what the wind speeds are at the time. Dispatch then contacts the appropriate fire chief in that fire district regarding the burn.
"Residents are not told if they can or cannot burn," Abbott-Becker said.
Permits are not issued and Abbott-Becker said her department is not interested in doing so.
Commission questioned where the wind speed requirements originated. Abbott-Becker said she believed it was determined by the county extension office.
She also stated that area fire chiefs wanted precautions added to the controlled burn resolution.
Information will be gathered and presented at a future meeting regarding changes to the resolution.
In other business:
— The commission approved an access agreement to activate a backup dispatch plan which is located on the campus of Hutchinson Community College in Hutchinson.
Abbott-Becker is co-chairman of the project to provide an auxiliary location for dispatch operations if conventional offices are not usable for whatever reason. Nineteen counties are participating in the plan. In addition to having a remote location for continual dispatch services, Marion County will benefit from free training and accessibility to newly-trained personnel who may be interested in working for the county.
— Plans continue to progress for a GPS system that will benefit both the appraiser's office and emergency management. While appraisal employees are gathering information for their database, information will be stored in a mobile laptop instead of handwriting information, taking it back to the office, and transcribing it into the computer system.
Appraisal personnel also will gather data that can be used by emergency management regarding hazardous sites, shelter locations, etc.
— The county has been awarded a $7,500 grant for a hazardous analysis.
— Abbott-Becker requested and received a 10-minute executive session to discuss personnel. The meeting reconvened with no decisions.
— During the month of March, emergency dispatch received a total of 2,116 incoming calls. Of those, 694 were 911 calls and 439 were from cell phones.
