Death, retirement force Marion to shuffle jobs

With Marion sanitation department’s only certified driver having died Monday, reportedly from a stroke, drivers from other city departments are being called upon to help keep streets clean of trash.

The city has seven drivers in other departments who have certification, city administrator Roger Holter said. Those departments include streets, electric, wastewater, and parks departments.

“They’ll rotate now, so we’re not unduly stressing one department,” Holter said.

Holter said the city would search for a new sanitation department employee with certification.

The city water processing plant also is in transition after the retirement June 30 of operator Brett Cleeton.

Holter said the city had obtained operator-in-training certification for mayor David Mayfield’s son, Jeff Mayfield.

Jeff Mayfield will work with a mentor provided through Kansas Municipal Utilities’ training program in McPherson.

After a year of working with a mentor, he should be ready to become certified as a water operator.

“We’ve hired a part-time licensed operator to work on Saturdays,” Holter said.

Scott Heidebrecht cannot be considered operator in charge of the water plant but does have 14 years of experience, part of those years with the Marion water plant, Holter said.