County's sales tax revenue up for July
The good news Tuesday was that Marion County's sales-tax revenue for July, coming back from Topeka, was $41,266.44. This was the most for a July since 1997, County Clerk Carol Maggard said. She did not know why it was "this good."
The total figure for expenditures on "payday," Marion County commissioners' end-of-the-month meeting Tuesday, was $584,325.53, Maggard said.
County Commissioner Bob Hein said car sales have been up lately, too, including this past summer.
The total sales-tax payment to the county so far, through the first seven months of 2003, is $330,845.60, Maggard said.
She reported that Mid-Continental Restoration Inc., of Fort Scott, has accepted responsibility for most of the damage to the courthouse east-side parking lot.
Matt Deloney, Mid-Continental vice president, wrote in a letter to Maggard that his company is willing to pay for work to be done by APAC of Wichita with a total price tag of between $2,289 and $2,450.
This will include milling and patching asphalt damaged/depressed by a crane leased by the company during its restoration work on the courthouse this spring and summer.
The Fort Scott firm also will pay for a seal coat and restriping of the parking spaces in the lot.
The county will be expected to pay only about $167 for some milling and filling of ruts.
Hein will be the county's voting delegate at a workmen's compensation meeting to be held at the same time as the Kansas Association of Counties' meeting in Wichita next month.
The county employees' Christmas party will be at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 8 at the Burns Community Center. Hein will be unable to attend because of a prior commitment. Maggard and the other two commissioners expressed regret that Hein will be unable to attend.
Maggard said some county health-plan benefits have been amended to allow for payment for some over-the-counter drugs such as Claritin, if they are shown to be truly needed by the insured. This benefit is for Flex-Plan participants only, she said.
Kevin Fruechting was appointed to serve another term, ending in March 2006, on the Eighth Judicial District Nominating Commission.
Commissioners approved sending a letter of support for further grant funds for the Marion Reservoir Watershed Water Quality Project, requested by the project's manager, Peggy Blackman, Marion.
Gerald Kelsey, county road and bridge superintendent, said Sprint United had asked permission to bore under a township road in order to place cable there.
He said also that the Kansas Department of Transportation has asked the county to give it back 4.48 acres of land it gave to the county. The land is near Lincolnville, between old U.S. 77 and the new U.S. 77. Farmers are upset by the fact the county owns the land, and commissioners agreed it's doing the county no good.
The county agreed to return the land to KDOT, via a quit-claim deed. KDOT plans to sell the land at auction, Kelsey said.
Commissioners accepted two area fuel bids from Cardie Oil, Inc., Tampa, and two from Cooperative Grain. All are for No. 2 diesel fuel.
Cardie will provide 800 gallons for Area 1 for $727.76 and 2,150 gallons for Area 2 for $1,934.35.
Co-op will provide 1,800 gallons for Area 3 for $1,664.46 and 1,800 gallons for Area 4 for $1,646.28.
