Marion City Council meetings changed to every other Monday
Staff reporter
Marion City Council were not in total agreement Monday but did vote 3-2 to change the meeting time from 4 p.m. every Monday to 5:30 p.m. every other Monday. It was not made clear which Mondays the meetings would be held (i.e., first and third or second and fourth) each month. Mayor Martin Tice and councilman Gene Winkler were opposed.
It appeared that all agreed that Monday was the best day but some wanted to keep the time at 4 p.m. while others wanted it later in the evening for working people to be able to attend. Concerns were voiced by the council regarding compensation for city employees to attend evening meetings and conflicts with established events such as school board meetings and sports events.
A resolution will be drawn and proposed at the next meeting. Until such time a resolution is approved, the council will continue to meet at 4 p.m. every Monday.
In other business:
— Councilman Stacey Collett noted an error in the minutes of the previous week's meeting. He said Tice did not ask for discussion following a motion and a second approving appointments of numerous city positions. Collett also noted that he had voted "no" to the appointments. The minutes were changed to reflect the approval of the appointments as 4-1 with Collett opposed.
— Collett volunteered and was approved by the council to be the council liaison with USD #408 regarding the indoor swimming pool project. Collett and Mayfield will attend meetings with school officials and the architect to discuss pool plans.
— Councilman Jerry Kline volunteered and was approved by the council to serve on the Marion Watershed Comprehensive Study Task Force. Former commissioner Max Hayen formerly served on the committee.
The purpose of the task force is to work on a comprehensive plan for Marion Reservoir to resolve issues of algae and sediment. Peggy Blackman, coordinator of the program, said a grant application will be submitted by May 1 to help defray costs of the comprehensive study.
— Jan Nolde of Swindoll, Janzen, Hawk and Loyd, the city's auditors, presented the 2005 city audit report. Some areas of concern were the completion of a city policies and procedures manual for budgeting and reporting, the book value of pledged securities were used instead of the market value, and payroll review and comparison.
There were no cash basis or budget violations.
— Economic development director Jami Williams was given the go-ahead for a business incentives grant program.
A total of $25,000 per year was requested for the program which could come from sales tax revenue.
Williams said that currently the city receives $130,000 annually in revenue from the .75 percent city sales tax. Of that amount, $100,000 is spent annually.
Mayfield said sales tax funds also are used to pay bond payments for infrastructure at the industrial park. Those payments fluctuate, Mayfield said, but run around $106,000 per year. Currently, there is a $150,000 balance in the fund, he added.
— Williams reported the cemetery board received $470 from a circus that was located on cemetery property.
— Harvey Sanders, director of public utilities, reported work has restarted on the 12.5 electrical line, two poles blew over due to high winds at Cedar and Hudson streets and Commercial and Forest streets, sewer problems at Marion Baseball Complex were repaired, and the rear end of the auger truck was replaced.
— Marty Fredrickson, street superintendent and building inspector, reported a water line was replaced on Denver Street, and the demolition of a dilapidated structure at 110 S. Lincoln Street is nearly completed. Concerns were expressed regarding a garage that was not removed with the structure.
Tice said his understanding was the garage was to be removed with the house. Fredrickson said the garage was inspected and appeared to meet city codes. However, it is in need of paint and replacement of the doors. The council voted 4-1, with Tice opposing, to give the owner 90 days to paint and replace doors on the garage.
— The owner of razed property at 501 N. Roosevelt Street requested 120 days to "rethink his position" regarding the removal of a garage that remained after that house was removed. It was determined by the city that the garage needed to be demolished and a letter was sent to the owner required a timeline for removal.
The council voted 3-2, with Kline and Collett opposed, to give the owner two weeks to resolve the matter.
— Police chief Michel Soyez reported the engine of a patrol car had failed but a newly-purchased 2002 vehicle was available to replace it.
— Councilman Bill Holdeman asked Soyez why his office was not located in the police department. Soyez responded it didn't make any difference to him where his office was located but he wanted the council to tour the police department to understand an issue of shortage of space.
— Fredrickson reported a cemetery sexton had not been hired and retired sexton Dale Johnson was working part-time at the cemetery.
— Holdeman asked if a minister could pray before each meeting. He also requested that the meeting be recorded.
— A city plumbing license for Harold Stultz Jr. of Stultz Plumbing Service was approved.
— The council entered a 15-minute executive session to discuss trade secrets with Williams, Mayfield, and city attorney Dan Baldwin present.
The meeting reconvened with no decisions.
The next meeting is at 4 p.m. Monday in the city building basement.
