Marion County landfill is officially closed
Staff reporter
All work has been completed in covering and capping the former county landfill.
Jack Chapelle, the county's engineering consultant for the project, reported Monday to Marion County Commission that Unruh Excavating had completed the project.
However, the final bill from the company reflected the project had a $49,802 overrun due to additional soil required per Kansas Department of Health & Environment requirements.
When the project estimates were made, it was not known exactly how much fill dirt would be required. When all was said and done, 96,000 cubic yards of dirt was used.
Chapelle will review the company's statement and compare it with his information to determine the final amount owed by the county.
A large reservoir was developed where dirt was removed and hauled to the landfill site and used for the cover. The reservoir will serve as a drainage area for the former landfill.
A new gate was installed to secure the area.
The cap of the landfill was seeded as per the original plan. Commissioners Randy Dallke and Dan Holub also requested the remaining area be seeded.
Holub asked what the county wanted to do with this land.
David Brazil, county sanitarian, suggested a public/private partnership for a trail or some other public use. The area around the landfill would be used, not the landfill itself.
Dallke asked if a firing range for the sheriff's department was an option. Chapelle warned Dallke that closing the area after it's used as a firing range would be costly.
Chapelle advised the commission to keep the cap mowed, do not erect permanent structures on the cap, or water the cap.
Dallke asked if the land could be sold. Chapelle said "yes" but the new owner would have to understand the responsibility of maintaining the former landfill area. Also, the county would continue to be responsible for the former landfill even after the sale.
In other business:
— County clerk Carol Maggard requested and received permission to apply for a Heritage Trust Fund grant to repair windows at the courthouse. The maximum amount of the grant is $90,000, with the county providing a 20 percent match.
— Maggard also was instructed to solicit bids to clean up mold in the courthouse basement.
— Michele Abbott-Becker requested and received permission to purchase a monitor to advise personnel when there is water or sewer in the basement of the jail building.
This past weekend, Abbott-Becker said a jail inmate had stuffed a towel in a toilet, which caused the sewer to back up in the basement, nearly damaging the server used by dispatch.
She also will purchase shelves to store equipment and parts off the floor.
— Following a 15-minute executive session requested by county appraiser Cindy Magill to discuss personnel, the commission approved a contract with McCully & Associates for $3,900 to receive a commercial index study, commercial depreciation review, income and expense analysis, capitalization rate study, and effective tax rate study for the 2006 evaluation. The request was made due to changes in personnel in the appraiser's department.
— The commission approved a resolution to amend and adopt the county's strategic plan.
— The commission also approved an amendment to the county employees' flexible benefit plan.
— A salary increase was approved for an employee who had completed a year of employment, and to a second employee who had completed required training.
— Robert Maxwell, a Marion County resident, was re-appointed to the Eighth Judicial Corrections Advisory Board.
— Abbott-Becker distributed emergency call statistics for August.
In August, there were 592 911 calls, 355 from cell phones. A total of 3,172 outgoing and incoming calls were noted. This is a decrease from August 2004, when there were 670 total 911 calls, 404 from cells phones, and a total of 4,060 outgoing and incoming calls to the county's dispatcher.
— An addendum was approved for an agreement between the register of deeds office and Tabor College to have an additional 200 school record books stored by the college.
— The commission approved a resolution to adopt the National Incident Management System. Abbott-Becker reported this resolution was necessary for the county to receive federal funding.
— A mutual aid agreement also was approved by the commission that will cover a broader range of events and include more agencies. The agreement will not supersede any other mutual aid agreement currently in place. Cities within the county also will have to adopt a similar plan to receive federal funds following an event.
— Grant funds will be sought for additional mapping for the county's communications department, reported Abbott-Becker.
— Training for emergency medical dispatch will be held Nov. 15-17 at county lake hall.
— Magill reported she will send a maintenance plan to the state as required by statute. She also reported she had addressed compliance issues following a state review.
— Bill Smithhart, county noxious weed director, distributed a map of areas recently sprayed for noxious weeds.
— Smithhart reported his department will host a meeting Oct. 12 at the county lake hall of the northeast district of noxious weed directors.
— County resident Tony Epp told the commission he was not in favor of the county expanding its current jail facility.
He said a larger facility will bring in "undesirables" who will come and visit prisoners which he believes will increase crime in the county.
Epp also said he was concerned about lawsuits that could be filed against the county, sheriff's department, police department, etc.
The next commission meeting will be at 9 a.m. Monday in the courthouse.
