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County to purchase generators

Staff reporter

A mobile generator for Marion County Lake Hall and a stationary generator will be purchased for the county.

Michele Abbott-Becker, county emergency management director, received direction Jan. 17 from Marion County Commission regarding specifics about the equipment.

At a previous meeting, Abbott-Becker had encouraged the commission to consider designated shelters throughout the county in case of disasters.

A mobile generator could be used at the lake hall and other places as necessary in case of electrical outages. One generator will be purchased to provide electricity to the county courthouse and jail.

Grant funds will be used to purchase the items.

County clerk Carol Maggard asked where the portable generator will be stored. Commission chairman Dan Holub suggested in a road and bridge department building.

In other business:

— Brunner Construction of Marion, with a low bid of $15,070, was awarded the contract for reconstruction of offices in the basement of the courthouse.

Mold had been removed from various locations in the courthouse. As a result, offices in the road and bridge department needed to be reconstructed.

Other bids were from Jantz Construction of Tampa, for $16,954, and CWC Construction, Wichita, for $24,088.

— Sheriff Lee Becker reported one patrol unit had been ordered. A new LED light bar was needed for the vehicle and Becker was instructed to order one for $1,530.

— Abbott-Becker reported that homeland security grants will be used for equipment to improve radio transmission signals at Goessel, Peabody, and Florence, and in the northern part of the county.

— County employees will not receive a complimentary one-day pass to shop at Sam's Club.

The county had been contacted by the business regarding cards for county employees and offered guest passes.

Commissioner Bob Hein and Holub did not support the promotion because it encouraged out-of-county shopping.

Commissioner Randy Dallke was absent.

— Linda Johnson of Marion was appointed as the county's representative on the Mid-CAP board.

— County attorney Susan Robson requested and received permission to encumber $1,497 from capital outlay in the 2005 budget for equipment.

— A letter from community corrections of the Eighth Judicial District for the county's share for insurance was acknowledged. The annual amount is $41,560 and is a budgeted expense.

— The commission approved $2,500 be paid to Kansas Legal Services for annual assistance. The funds will be taken from sales tax revenue.

— The December budget report was reviewed. Maggard said it appeared all departments, within the general fund, were within their budgets for 2005. A complete report will be presented at the next meeting.

— Kevin Fruechting will be contacted regarding his re-appointment as a county representative as a non-lawyer member of the judicial nominating committee of the Kansas Supreme Court.

— Maggard reported there was $13,386,584 cash on hand as of Dec. 31. Of that amount, $805,180 was in the county's general fund, and $764,037 in road and bridge department fund.

Interest earned was $134,028, as of Dec. 30, 2005.

Year-to-date expenses in special vehicle fund was $71,742.

— County treasurer Jeannine Bateman reported the county's auditor had concerns regarding pledging from a bank within the county. Bateman said the bank did not provide pledging for a deposit until five days after the deposit.

In the future, Bateman will require same day pledging when deposits are made.

— Robson reported three property owners had paid their delinquent taxes for a total of $4,607. Thus far, $11,547 in delinquent taxes have been collected since a tax sale had been planned.

— Maggard was instructed to obtain bids for a copier in the clerk's office. Maggard reported the current machine, purchased in 1994, was not operating properly and parts are no longer available.

— Abbott-Becker said she will ask county zoning administrator David Brazil to consider a change to the county zoning regulations that would require one free county-owned antenna on communication towers.

— Steve Hudson, road and bridge supervisor, presented a job description for a new position — heavy equipment transport driver.

A job classification committee will review and rank the position as per county policy, said Maggard.

— Jim Herzet, road and bridge superintendent, requested and received a five minute executive session to discuss personnel. The meeting reconvened with no decisions.

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