Staff writer
Lehigh Township Clerk Chris Jost told Marion County Commissioners Monday about his concerns regarding fire protection for the township.
The city of Lehigh has a fire department, but Hillsboro Fire Department contracts with the township to provide primary fire protection. HFD does good work, but travel time slows response to fires, he said. He questioned why Lehigh Fire Department isn’t the first department called to fires when it is the closest agency.
The decision of which agency to call first should be made by officials from Lehigh Township and the cities of Hillsboro and Lehigh, Commission Chairman Randy Dallke said.
Jost said he has tried to start a dialogue, but there isn’t enough interest in township affairs.
Pipeline haul routes set
Engineering firm Kirkham Michael completed a haul route recommendation for TransCanada to use in Marion County while working on the Keystone Pipeline.
The pipeline company will be permitted to use:
- 80th Road between Remington and Timber roads
- 290th Road from Quail Creek Road to U.S. 77
- Quail Creek Road between 360th and 260th roads, 230th Road and U.S. 56, and 140th and 120th roads
- Remington Road from the Dickinson County line to 80th Road
- Sunflower Road from 140th Road to U.S. 50 and 80th Road to the Butler County line
- Timber Road from U.S. 50 to the Butler County line
- 10th, 20th, 30th, 50th, and 60th roads between Sunflower and Timber roads
- 90th, 110th, 120th, and 140th roads between Remington and Sunflower roads
- 120th, 130th, 140th, 180th, 190th, 210th, 230th, 260th, 270th, 280th, 290th, 300th, 310th, 320th, 330th, 340th, and 350th roads between Quail Creek and Remington roads.
In other business:
- Sediment entering Marion Reservoir from the North Cottonwood River was 4,954 tons in 2009, down from 13,821 tons in 2007, Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy Coordinator Peggy Blackman said.
- Gerald Bender was hired as a part-time seasonal employee at Marion County Park and Lake at a wage of $8 per hour.
- County Clerk Carol Maggard met with commissioners in closed session for 10 minutes to discuss personnel. No action was required on return to open session.
- Marion County will send warning letters to residents plowing in the county’s right of way. If the residents do not rectify the issue, the county will pursue punishment under Kansas statute 68-545, Road and Bridge Superintendent Jim Herzet said.
- Creek Electric will resolve hazards in the courthouse and other buildings for $5,424. The company inspected the buildings for problems following a series of lightning strikes that damaged expensive equipment.
- Voth Construction will do drywall work in the Health Department building for $4,750. Wiebe Construction bid $9,671.
- Microloans were approved for a new business and a business expansion in the county, Economic Development Director Teresa Huffman said. Two additional businesses are seeking loans.
- Huffman met with commissioners in closed session for five minutes to discuss personnel. No action was taken on return to open session.
The next commission meeting will be Friday.