Commission learns county landfill closing process continues
David Brazil, Marion County environmental officer, reported Monday the receipt of a letter from Jack Chappelle regarding the closing of the former county landfill.
Soil testing during closure and well monitoring after closing are required. Brazil said county personnel could collect the samples and send to the appropriate labs for test results.
Commission chairman Bob Hein asked if the county's waste hauler had been ticketed for overloads. Brazil said he had, probably two or three times. He added that rain adds considerable weight to the loads while in transport to the landfill site.
The county pays the tickets but the offense goes against the operator's license.
Commissioner Randy Dallke requested and received a 15-minute executive session to discuss personnel with Brazil and Maggard present.
The meeting reconvened with the announcement there will be an employee grievance hearing at 8:30 a.m. Monday.
In other business:
— Acting county road superintendent Jim Herzet told the commission the road and bridge budget needed to be republished.
In order to spend FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) grant funds, the budget has to be republished.
County clerk Carol Maggard suggested they wait until closer to the time when the 2006 budget is planned.
Herzet requested and received permission to seek bids for a new backhoe. Herzet wants to keep the current backhoe as a backup. Funds would be used from the machinery fund, Herzet said.
Commissioner Dan Holub asked Herzet if it would be cheaper to lease a crane rather than maintaining a county-owned one. Herzet will check into options.
Dallke asked Herzet if there were any other scheduled equipment purchases for 2005. Herzet said there weren't but added some of the county pickup trucks needed to be replaced.
When trucks reach 125,000 to 130,000 miles, they are replaced with a new truck and the old truck is passed into the fleet.
— The commission reviewed a letter from Hoch Publishing Company, Inc., regarding a request for new bids for the county's official newspaper.
At the previous meeting, the commission voted 2-1 in favor of the Hillsboro Free Press Extra for the county's official newspaper for legal publications.
Hoch Publishing Co., owners of the Marion County Record, Hillsboro Star-Journal, and Peabody Gazette-Bulletin, contested the decision based on state statute requirements.
Hein and Dallke said they would not change their votes.
— County appraiser Dianna Carter-Frantz told the commission she was researching other options regarding new aerial maps of the county.
Her original proposal was for aerial photographs of the county at a cost of $70,000 to $75,000. Some of the funds for the expense would come from the appraiser's and zoning budgets. The remainder would come from FEMA reimbursement money to the road and bridge department.
Carter-Frantz said her department currently was receiving updated aerial photos for rural properties which were adequate but she needed updated city aerial maps.
Dallke said he agreed the county needed new photos. He supported the project of having photographs taken of the cities first. He suggested the rural properties be taken the following year.
Hein said he would like to see the whole project completed this year.
Flight time for the photographer is in February, Carter-Frantz said, so a decision needs to be made soon.
The last aerial photos were taken in the mid-1980s.
— Michele Abbott-Becker, county emergency management and communications director, requested and received a 10-minute executive session to discuss personnel. Maggard also was in attendance.
The meeting reconvened with no decisions.
— Sheriff Lee Becker asked the commission if the sheriff's department should pay for ambulance runs.
The sheriff's office received bills for transporting ill inmates and Becker asked if county departments should pay full price to another county department for services.
Becker will meet with the emergency medical services director to discuss the matter.
— Holub will serve as a county representative on the juvenile detention advisory board. Hein will continue serving on the regional solid waste board. Dallke agreed to serve on the Flint Hills RC&D (Resources Conservation and Development) board.
The next commission meeting will be at 9 a.m. Monday in the courthouse.
