Tornado siren at county lake will be updated
Marion County Commission approved the updating of the tornado siren activation system Monday at Marion County Lake.
Marion County Commission Chairman Randy Dallke said he discovered this past weekend that the tornado siren at the lake had to be activated by hand. He suggested it be activated by county dispatch.
Later in the meeting, Dallke asked county emergency communications director Michele Abbott-Becker about her department being responsible for the activation of the siren. Abbott-Becker said her department could not be responsible for that.
She informed the commission that other smaller communities that were faced with the same dilemma are able to activate it through fire personnel. When dispatch notifies all listeners on the radio of impending severe weather, it is up to the individual fire departments to activate siren equipment through telecommunications such as a telephone.
In other business:
— County appraiser Cindy Magill reported that personal property notices were mailed Friday. Recipients have until May 18 to schedule an appointment to appeal the amount.
Personal property includes oil and gas, commercial, business, and personal property, and individual personal property such as boats.
— County treasurer Jeannine Bateman and county attorney Susan Robson asked the commission for clarification regarding the process for delinquent property taxes. Robson said in past years she had sent letters to delinquent property owners prior to the list being published in the newspaper.
The commission instructed Robson to send letters.
Typically tax sales are every three or four years, Robson said, but will prepare information about the properties that would qualify for a tax sale — those properties that are delinquent for three years if there is a residence on the land and two years if no residence.
The list will be printed in September.
— A payment of $2,450 was approved to COPP Consultants of Salina. Consultant Eugene Wilson provided services that saved the county $309 per month in telephone service charges. During a five-year time period, the county could save $18,562. Wilson's fee was based on 33 percent of the annual savings during the first two-year period.
— Marion County Health Department gave a used printer to Centre USD 397. The printer was purchased with WIC funds and the printer had to be sold with funds being deposited back in the WIC program or the printer could be given to a school or library.
— A tractor-mower that was used at the county lake will be advertised and sold by sealed bid.
— The commission reviewed a building code brochure.
The next commission meeting is at 9 a.m. Monday in the courthouse.
