New swimming pool, other suggestions made
After the regular city commission meeting Monday, Marion Mayor Eloise Mueller convened a special planning meeting in the city building basement. About 11 people attended, in addition to the mayor and Commissioners Jim Crofoot and Larry McLain, City Administrator David Mayfield and City Clerk Linda Holub.
Most of the 11, however, were city department heads or news media representatives.
A new city swimming pool was high on many people's agenda as a civic improvement.
Mueller, convening the one-hour meeting, noted that the PRIDE program was successful in Marion in the 1970s, but the Vision program in the 1990s "didn't fly very high."
"We want to make Marion a better place to live," Mueller said.
Her own goals, she said, are for Marion to complete the industrial park; securing of new industries and businesses that will provide additional employment for this area, as well as maintenance of existing businesses and industries; development of independent and assisted-living retirement homes;
Also, establishment and continuation of programs for improvement of streets, sidewalks, lighting, parks, and signage; development of a program for assistance in direction and financing for people wanting and needing help to improve their homes; enforcement of ordinances to rid the community of junk cars, debris, poorly maintained vacant areas, and dilapidated and unsafe businesses; and increased efficiency of city government and services.
Police Chief Michel Soyez said he thought city ordinances were effective, and noted that the local crime rate has declined since 1999. The city has helped his department a great deal, he said.
He mentioned a grant for purchase of bulletproof vests and other equipment as high-priority items. His department is also thinking about acquiring in-car video cameras.
The car program, started by Mayfield when he was chief of police, was cited as a good achievement. Personnel are good, and "we're in good shape, I think," said Soyez. "We have been set up by the city commission to do good things over the next five to 10 years."
Commissioner Crofoot said city services are crucial and must be kept going. "Water, sewers, streets, those are very important. We can't function as a city without providing services."
He added that the city has good employees who are efficient, and "we are more streamlined than before."
Commissioner McLain said the needed facilities are "there, in most cases." He mentioned the electric plant proposal, and said any plans decided upon should be implemented as quickly as possible.
He said the city has good staff, with good attitudes and leadership. "We need to continue to provide them a good place to work," McLain said. "We take care of them, and they take care of the city."
Marion City Library is an example of a job well-done by all involved, he said. "It's an asset to the community."
Some properties need to be "upgraded or eliminated," he said. The cities in Marion County need to work together.
Harvey Sanders, public utilities superintendent, said the city's water mains are very old, and this is a problem that must be addressed. "Replacement has been let go a long time," he said.
More new sewer lines need to be installed, too, he said. All of Marion needs to be put on 7,200-volt electric service, too, instead of the current 2,400-volt system.
The new clear well is helping the water plant situation, Sanders said. Installation of underground electrical service in Central Park is a goal, along with replacement of brick sidewalks with concrete.
Needs seen by Sanders and by Marty Fredrickson, building inspector/street department head, also include establishing replacement or improvement programs for a 10-year program; street replacements; fire hydrant replacements and flushing maintenance;
Also, replacement and maintenance of main water line isolation valves; cleaning of the main sewer line on a four-year rotation; looping dead-end main water lines; finishing the 12,500-volt electric loop around the city; and, last but not least, building a new swimming pool, a goal mentioned by several of Monday's participants.
Susan Cooper, director of economic development, spoke of downtown revitalization as an ongoing need. She said the city might want to consider joining the national Main Street program, which is a good way to facilitate grant acquisition.
Streetscaping, sidewalks, a business incubator — whereby the city would own a building and/or work with a company or companies, allowing start-up businesses to rent space in the building at little or no cost for 12-18 months. They would then relocate to a different building, allowing new start-ups to "incubate."
Cooper also spoke of tourism "draws" such as the new library, Central Park, and the lakes. She said it has become necessary to market Marion and the area on television, as well as with brochures, trade shows, and other ways, to let people know about the outstanding recreation and parks available here.
She spoke also of having an entrepreneurial fair for business prospects, and incentives, to attract new businesses and retain existing ones.
Janet Marler, librarian, said the library's success shows that "goals can be achieved. We got the computers we needed, and our circulation is up," she noted, those being two goals that were met.
Margo Yates, executive director of the Marion Chamber of Commerce, stressed the need to "keep Marion's name out there in front of people."
Make contacts, encourage loyalty to local businesses, "talk up" our historic buildings, the lake, tourism, she said.
She also is in favor of a new swimming pool, and advocates central heating and air conditioning for the Marion County Historical Museum. Another goal is having a permanent stage in Central Park.
Restrooms and drinking fountains in East Park would also be nice, and more signs in the city to direct people to interesting, picturesque, fun sites.
A newspaper reporter at the meeting suggested Marion and the county should think seriously about the wind-turbine energy-generation industry. "The city should be contacting somebody, and doing like the city of Larned."
He spoke also of Gary Johnson of Manhattan, a retired Kansas State University faculty member, who is an expert in this new industry. He said the city should have Johnson come and speak at a public meeting.
Giving away land to attract industry is another thing to think about, he added. Ellsworth has done this, he said. And value-added agriculture-related businesses should be aggressively recruited, he added.
"I certainly wouldn't turn away any meat packer or industry of that kind," he said. He also mentioned ethanol and methanol plants as possibilities.
Mayfield congratulated the reporter on his ideas, but said the city is currently "locked into a contract" with an electric company, so that agreement would have to expire before wind generation could be looked at, at least by the city.
Max Hayen, Marion mayor for three years just preceding Mueller's election to the post, said he had been in about 400 Kansas towns in the last few years. One of the best-looking was Sterling, he said, because of its excellent work on its Main Street.
Others that looked good included St. John, with a city park in the center of town, Winfield, Inman, and El Dorado. He said Marion looks good, too. Some towns look like "a retirement center for old mobile homes," Hayen said.
Marion County needs to take a more active part in what goes on it its cities, he said, and others at the meeting agreed.
Mayfield said in order to pay for any of the improvements suggested, grants, donations, volunteer work, or city money would be needed.
A grant will be needed to get a new swimming pool, he said. "And we (city) will have to match part of it," the city administrator said.
"Citizens here will step forward. We need to plan now," he said.
Rocky Hett had the most unusual suggestion. He suggested that the city take the north half of the industrial park, fence it in, then get eight to 10 "free" horses and burros from the government.
Then, signs would be erected, inviting motorists to stop and feed the critters. This, he said, would brand Marion as "the city with a heart."
If one died, he said, it could be placed next to the highway with a sign saying, "This horse starved to death because YOU didn't stop and feed it!"
The city would provide oats and other feed for the animals.
Mayfield's comment was succinct: You can't have livestock within the city limits.
