Crews clean up derelict property
Staff writer
After more than a year of wrangling with its owner, the city of Marion cleaned up a nuisance property Wednesday under the supervision of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
Property owner Kevin Geren, 702 S. Cedar, yelled and cussed at the people who came to clean up the premises, then later joined them in the cleanup.
At the scene were 12 public works employees, two police officers, mayor David Mayfield, city administrator Roger Holter, and Toby Kuhn, an inspector with KDHE’s Bureau of Waste Management.
City workers removed wooden and metal fencing surrounding the yard, cleared away rubbish in the yard including a stack of telephone poles, and used a loader to pile all of it into a truck that took it to the transfer station.
The Bureau of Waste Management can order anything not considered valuable to be removed. Geren had numerous pieces of scrap metal and tires on the property that were left intact except metal used as a makeshift fence was taken down.
Geren has been arrested three times in the last 13 months on drug charges and transporting an open container of alcohol, and warrants alleging failure to appear in court. Drug charges filed in court are still pending.
Natalie Geren, who also lives at the property, has been arrested seven times in the last two years on drug charges, domestic battery, and warrants alleging failure to appear in court.
Natalie Geren has been charged with domestic battery, theft, and three cases involving of possession of drugs. The drug charges are still pending.