Snow in Marion's downtown area will be removed regardless of amount
More than 30 people signed a complaint regarding snow removal in the Marion's downtown district.
Resident Les Broadstreet presented the list to Marion City Council Monday on behalf of those who signed the petition.
Mayor Mary Olson asked city administrator David Mayfield about the city's policy. Mayfield said the policy has been in place for many years.
City crews will remove snow from the downtown area and throughout the city only when it snows more then four inches and after the snow has moved out of the county.
The policy allows employees to begin snow removal as early as 2 a.m. Monday through Saturday and as late as 5 a.m. on Sunday.
If it snows less than four inches, city crews remove snow during the course of a regular working day.
Olson said she would like to see snow removed from the downtown area before businesses open every time it snows, regardless of the amount of snow on the ground. She continued that she would like to see piles of snows along the gutters be removed.
Councilman Bill Holdeman read a statement that on Feb. 6, the snow quit falling between 1 and 2 a.m. He suggested that three employees could have gone out at 2 a.m. with one operating a skid loader, one blading streets, and the third on a high loader to open intersections.
When the snow was bladed to the center of the street, two more employees could have been called out at that point to run dump trucks. Holdeman continued that the employees could have worked eight hours and then sent home or worked the rest of the day and received compensatory time.
"It takes longer when you try to remove snow in traffic, costing the taxpayers more in wages," he said. The possibility of damaging vehicles also was a concern. Holdeman asked what the difference was between snow removal in the early morning hours and repairing a waterline or electrical outage.
With that, Holdeman looked at Mayfield and asked, "Mr. Mayfield, is it your job to make sure that the director and superintendent are utilizing the city crews to their full abilities so that the city is not wasting taxpayers' money?"
Mayfield responded it was his job to follow city policies and the council's job to set the policies.
"If the council wants to write a new policy, I will see that employees follow that policy," he said.
City attorney Dan Baldwin suggested the council come up with a snow policy.
With that, Olson made a motion and Holdeman seconded to change the policy which would require employees to remove snow from the downtown area in the early morning hours, regardless of the amount of snow. The motion passed 4-0. Councilman Stacey Collett was absent.
In other business:
— The council approved a $100,000 payment to Marion-USD 408 for the new indoor pool lease. The payment was approved at the beginning of the planning process.
— Payments of $94,200 and $750 were approved to Hett Construction for Arlie's Inc. and Cardie Oil, Inc. buildings at the city's industrial park.
— The council approved a donation of $200 to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Marion County for the annual Bowl for Kids Sake fund-raiser.
— The city will pay 25 percent of employees' premiums for spouse and family health insurance. In the past the city had paid 50 percent of the premium.
— The council approved an ordinance and loan agreement with KDOT regarding a loan for construction of Eisenhower Drive and North Cedar Street.
— An agreement was approved by the council for the city's Community Development Block Grant for Eisenhower Drive and North Cedar Street for professional administrative services for $19,000 with Rose Mary Saunders.
— The adoption of the 2008 National Electric Code was tabled.
— The council is willing to give the old playground equipment from Central Park to Marion County.
— An executive session was held for 15 minutes for discussing personnel with Mayfield, police chief Josh Whitwell, and Baldwin. The meeting reconvened with no decisions.
The next regular meeting is at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 25 at the city building.
