County transfer station may make minor changes in operation
Hours of operation at Marion County Transfer Station may be changed.
Interim transfer station manager Rollin Schmidt asked Marion County Commission on Monday to consider the change.
Currently hours of operation are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The last commercial trash truck comes in at 4 p.m. daily, said Schmidt. He would the hours to change from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and keep the same hours on Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Commissioner Randy Dallke suggested Schmidt observe the operations for a month and report back to the commission.
Schmidt also advised the commission that regular full-time employees are working Saturdays, racking up significant compensatory time. Two people are needed for operations on Monday and Tuesday but asked if workers could alternate taking off Wednesday and Thursday to use up comp time. The commission approved the request.
A part-time employee is budgeted but none was hired. Schmidt asked if a part-time person to work Saturdays could be hired. The commission said it was OK.
Schmidt also wants to cross- train transfer station and noxious weed department employees to fill in when someone is on sick leave or vacation.
In other business:
— Schmidt reported he will apply for a grant for a paint can crusher for household hazardous waste department.
Currently the department has been boxing up unused paint in the can and shipping to a waste site at a cost of $350 per box, generally sending two shipments per year.
If a can crusher is obtained and used, the machine will empty the contents into a barrel and crush the empty paint can which then can be compacted in a barrel. The cost to ship the barrel is $75.
— Tire rims will be removed from tires brought to the transfer station before transferring for disposal. The county is being levied additional charges of $4 per tire for car tires and $5 per tire for larger tires for tires on rims. The county only charges consumers $1 per car tire, $5 per truck tire, and $10 per tractor tire.
A tire changer at the county's south road and bridge shop will be utilized by transfer station employees to remove tires from rims, saving the county money.
— The reuse room at the transfer station may be discontinued. Schmidt said he was not a strong supporter of the program because of safety issues and the amount of time spent by employees in separating items to be placed in the room.
Some items have been there numerous months and need to be discarded, said Schmidt.
— County lake superintendent Dale Snelling said the repainting of the lake hall building will be done "in house" because he was unsuccessful in securing a professional painter due to the county's liability insurance requirement.
Leaks in the lake hall roof may be due to the screw holes in the metal sheets. Washers could be replaced to make the building more water-tight.
— A fence issue was discussed by two landowners and the commission.
Thomas and Vickie Pritchett own property that adjoins property owned by Randy Robinson. The Pritchetts have a newer fence on their side because they have cattle on their property. Robinson has not replaced his fence and it is in disrepair because he does not have cattle or a need for a fence.
The half-mile fence line has trees in the row which would make it difficult for Robinson to string new fence. Robinson said he doesn't need a fence but would be willing to have the person who rents his pasture replace the fence.
Robinson said he wanted to bulldoze the trees from the fence line. Pritchett said he did not want the trees bulldozed and did not want any of his trees disturbed within 12 inches of the fence line. Robinson said he was concerned about the trees "coming back" if sawed down and not bulldozed. He asked if the county had a policy for fence-viewing.
State statute requires a minimum of two county commissioners to view the site and assist in establishing a fence line.
Robinson said he would need time to comply, probably in the winter or later.
The commission will view the fence issue at Monday's meeting and make a decision.
