Grant funds will be used for dock
Marion County Commission tentatively approved a new boat dock at Marion County Park & Lake.
Lake manager Dale Snelling and representatives from Cooper's EZ Dock of Wichita presented information to the commission about the plastic structure.
There are no sharp edges and each section can hold 5,000 pounds of pressure.
The approximate cost of the dock would be $45,000. Snelling is seeking a grant to cover 75 percent of the expense. He told commissioners he had the $11,000 matching portion available in his budget.
Commissioner Randy Dallke asked the price of a wooden dock. Snelling said it would be approximately $50,000-$60,000. He also checked the cost of a metal dock. One section was $16,000, Snelling said.
The dock would have four boat slips and be designed for extensions.
Ken Cooper said the EZ Dock was the "choice for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers." Other lakes that have this type of dock are Harvey County East Lake and Winfield City Lake.
Snelling explained the front of the dock would have 80-foot wide sections. Sixty-foot wide sections would be on the back part. Handrails and curbing also would be included.
The dock comes with an eight-year warranty. Ultraviolet testing in Florida only showed a two percent reduction in color over a 10-year period.
The purchase of the dock would be contingent on the county securing a grant.
In other lake business:
— Bids were opened for two lake pickup trucks — a 1978 Dodge and 1984 Ford.
Three bids were received for the Dodge and one for the Ford.
The Dodge bids were $632.50, $238.97, and $50. The commission approved the bid for $632.50 from Andy Masenthih of Dwight.
A $100 bid for the Ford pickup was declined.
— Pay increases up to $7.50 per hour were approved for lake employees. New part-time employees pay will start at $6.50 per hour.
— The commission approved a resolution regarding rules and regulations at the lake.
Changes included a five mph no wash or wake limit for fishing boats at all times, and for speed boats before 6 a.m. and after 6 p.m.
— Snelling reported receiving $6,078 from Federal Emergency Management Agency for cleanup from the January ice storm. He was instructed to hire a tree trimmer to complete cleanup.
