Increased operations means increased costs
Efficiency comes at a price. This was said to Marion County Commission Monday by county road and bridge personnel.
Road supervisor Steve Hudson presented comparisons of materials and fuel used during April, May, and June in 2005 with the same months in 2006.
There were 7,561 tons more rock, sand, millings, and blade patch material used in the three-month period in 2006 than in 2005 — 23,724 tons in 2006, 16,163 tons in 2005.
With more materials being hauled and used, more fuel was consumed. In 2005, total gallons during the three-month period was 17,860. In 2006, 23,978 gallons were consumed, a difference of more than 6,000 gallons.
A comparison also was made of equipment repairs, parts, shop tools and supplies, and shop building supplies.
During that same three-month period in 2005, $32,820 was spent compared with $38,893 in 2006, a modest $6,073 increase.
Year-to-date, Hudson said 14,381 more tons of materials have been hauled and more than 11,222 more gallons of fuel used.
Commissioner Randy Dallke asked Hudson and road and bridge superintendent Jim Herzet how these increases will affect the department's budget. They responded that they hadn't yet checked into that.
In other business:
— The commission approved the purchase of millings at $5 per ton delivered and rock for $2 per ton from the U.S.-50 roundabout project.
— Markley Service of Marion presented the low bid of $14 per ounce for 256 ounces of Escort for the noxious weed department. Ag Services of Hillsboro also presented a bid of $18 per ounce.
— Interim transfer station manager Rollin Schmidt reported 731.88 tons of solid waste for the month of June.
Dallke asked how county employees knew the people using the transfer station were county residents. Schmidt said by their license plates. Schmidt said those who live out-of-county but own Marion County property are supposed to present a copy of their tax statement when using the transfer station.
— Sanitarian and zoning administrator Bobbi Strait reported she was working on an addendum to the county's zoning regulations that would address smaller acreages in areas zoned agriculture.
Currently those lots are grandfathered in but remain non-compliant. This would allow development in those areas because the smaller parcels would become compliant.
— Strait also expressed concerns about annual or occasional events like those that occurred this past weekend. A mud run and remote control car events were held without the operators obtaining a conditional use permit. She is going to research the issues and report at next week's meeting.
— The LESA, Land Evaluation and Site Assessment, system may be eliminated. Strait said she cannot force people to build on a certain area because of the LESA system. She added that if the LESA system is not used everywhere, all of the time, then it should not be used at all.
— County lake superintendent Dale Snelling reported attendance at the lake during the July 4th holiday was down from previous years. He said gas prices may have impacted travelers.
— Snelling asked the commission for permission to replace a cable and posts with a steel barrier on a Lakeshore Drive, just south of Wildin's Addition. Road and bridge department will remove and replace the barrier.
— The commission instructed Snelling to remove unusable items from a scrap metal pile at the lake.
