By PHYLLIS ZORN

Staff writer

City council members Monday approved a new floodplain management ordinance and zoning regulations that change nothing for Marion residents.

Because the city’s levy is accredited and measures up to Federal Emergency Management Administration standards, the new map won’t affect insurance, city administrator Roger Holter told council members.

“Because of our work on the levy foundation, we have no one who is going to buy flood insurance,” Holter said.

Council members listened to a request from Mike Beneke, who earlier purchased the former Straub building on W. Main St. Beneke wants to bale hay southeast of the building.

Mayor Todd Heitschmidt asked Holter if city property is allowed to be hayed. Holter said some property is zoned for agricultural use and Beneke could apply for the property to be rezoned.

Council members also reviewed the first draft of an ordinance that would regulate storage and work on demolition derby or racecars. No action was taken on the proposed ordinance.

Changes to the city’s personnel and policy manual were approved by council members, and a new time keeping system was discussed. The time keeping system council members are considering is an online application estimated to cost $2,940 to launch but pay for itself in savings of city clerk Tiffany Jeffrey’s time spent on time keeping and payroll tasks. Council members decided to give the matter further thought.

Since a fitness center has opened where a fundraising fireworks stand was operated in the past, council members discussed possible city-owned locations for this year’s fireworks stand, but made no decisions.