Voters will decide if hospital board will expand
Question will be on November ballot
Staff reporter
Another question will be added to the general election ballot.
Marion County Commission approved the placement of a question asking voters to consider increasing the size of Marion County Hospital District #1 from five members to seven.
Janet Herzet, director Marion County Home Care Services, presented a petition with signatures from a minimum of five percent of the registered voters within the hospital district.
The names will be verified by the county clerk's office and the question will be placed on the ballot.
A liquor-by-the-drink question will be on the ballot as well, asking voters to consider eating establishments to serve alcoholic beverages without club status and membership.
In other business:
— Darryl Thiesen, county emergency medical services director, reported grant money used for funding a Peabody EMT class will be available when payment receipts are submitted.
He reported he had contacted the City of Peabody regarding the city's financial commitment to the class. The city had paid for books but it was now a moot point since reimbursement will be retroactive with the expense.
— The commission approved an agreement with City of Marion regarding refuse service to county-owned trash containers at Marion County Park and Lake.
— Pam Loewen and Robert Maxwell were appointed to the Corrections Advisory Board of the Eighth Judicial District. Sandra Berg was reappointed by the commission to serve on the executive board.
The commission also approved funds collected as reimbursements for corrections be transferred to cover medical insurance for eighth judicial employees.
— County clerk Carol Maggard reported grant funds for the Marion County Health Department from bioterrorism fund was lower than the previous year.
The department received $22,434 in grant funds, a decrease of $10,544 from the previous year. The reason given was the previous year's funds were not expended in the allotted time resulting in the lower amount for the following year.
— The commission approved Marion National Bank's proposal regarding the default of a county microloan.
A Marion business had defaulted on the loan, the commission learned in a letter from Christie Henry of SCKEDD (South Central Kansas Economic Development District). The county holds a second mortgage on the business property and equipment. The proposal that was approved gave the county the equipment and the bank the property.
— Jim Kaup, the county's attorney for solid waste issues, contacted the commission via telephone conference. The commission recessed to a 15-minute executive session with county transfer station manager David Brazil and Kaup.
The meeting reconvened with no decisions.
Brazil was instructed to comply with requests made by Jack Chappell, the consulting engineer in the county landfill closure. He was authorized to contact a surveyor per Chappell's requests.
Brazil distributed monthly expense reports for August. Planning and zoning has expended 49 percent of its budget for the year, environmental health 63 percent, and transfer station 66 percent.
Total tons of solid waste received by the transfer station in August was 4,910.
— The commission approved a transport fuel bid from Cardie Oil Company for $13,354. The single bid was for 8,500 gallons of unleaded and diesel fuel.
The next commission meeting will be at 9 a.m. Monday in the courthouse.
