Staff writer
Marion County Commission voted to refuse permits to TransCanada for its planned Keystone Pipeline unless they are able to meet with a company representative to discuss concerns about damage to county roads.
Road and Bridge Superintendent John Summerville said TransCanada planned to store pipes at the intersection of 290th and Quail Creek roads. The company requested a variance to haul pipes on county roads.
All county blacktop roads have a posted limit of 65,000 pounds, but trucks hauling pipes would be legal at 80,000 with a variance, he said. The company plans to start hauling pipes in December.
The company is applying for a tax exemption on the grounds that it will send refined oil from its destination in Cushing, Okla., to El Dorado.
In other business:
- Marion County is receiving H1N1 flu vaccines weekly, Health Department Administrator Diedre Serene said. The department is working its way through high-priority groups.
- Serene met with commissioners in closed session for five minutes to discuss personnel. No action was taken afterward.
- Commission met in closed session for 10 minutes to discuss personnel at Summerville’s request. No action was taken on return to open session.
- County cash-on-hand as of Sept. 30 was about $10.7 million. That was up from about $9.1 million at the same time in 2008.
- A contract for water sampling and testing at a former landfill was approved with Continental Analytical Services for $8,960 over two years.
- Commissioners decided to put the old backup generator from the jail up for auction on www.purplewave.com instead of spending $5,250 to have Hedlund Electric move the 19-year-old generator to the lake hall at Marion County Park and Lake.
- Supreme Floor of Hillsboro won a bid to re-carpet the appraiser’s office, with a bid of $5,295 for what Appraiser Cindy Magill described as carpet tiles. If the carpet is damaged, a single tile can be replaced, she said. County Seat of Marion bid $6,400, and Baker Carpet of Peabody bid $5,787 plus $820 to remove the old carpet base.
- The Elgin Hotel in Marion will be the site of the 2009 North Central District Treasurer and Register of Deeds meeting Nov. 6. Those offices will be closed until 2 p.m. that day.
- Treasurer Jeannine Bateman met in closed session with the commission to discuss personnel for 10 minutes. No action was taken afterward.
- GEM of Philadelphia won a bid for a refrigerator and freezer for the Health Department to store vaccines. The company’s bid was $6,155 for a separate refrigerator and freezer. It also bid $9,575 for a combination unit.