Owner urged to remove burned remains of house
Staff reporter
Ron Cotton did not provide a time line to Marion City Council Monday evening regarding the clean up and removal of a burned house on Billings Street.
A petition had been filed with the city regarding the condition of the property. Cotton asked if the $3,000, of insurance proceeds currently held by the city, could be used to clean up the property. Mayor Martin Tice said the money would be returned to Cotton when the property is cleaned up.
Cotton also asked if another structure could remain on the property that was being used for storage. Tice said if the structure didn't meet city code then it had to be torn down or brought to code. He added that the city needed to see "movement" with the demolition of the property.
In other business:
— Tim Oglesby of Blue Cross/Blue Shield, presented renewal quotes for health insurance of city employees.
If the city kept the same basic coverage, the renewal would be 10 percent more than the previous year.
Current benefits include a $500 deductible for single and $1,000 for family coverage, co-insurance of 80/20 (employee paying 20 percent) with a $1,000 maximum out-of-pocket for single and $1,500 for family, $25 office visit co-pay (an increase from $15), and up to $300 paid for lab and X-ray.
One significant change is a $100 emergency room co-pay if not admitted to the hospital. Oglesby said this trend for insurance providers was an effort to encourage clients to seek medical attention through the doctor's office instead of the emergency room.
Other changes were noted for prescription charges.
Insurance premiums currently are $338 for single and $1,046 for family. If the same basic policy is renewed, the premiums would be $375 for single and $1,153 for family.
A second option the council could consider is increasing the amount of the deductibles with employees paying the difference for a lower deductible.
The council will make a decision at the Jan. 29 meeting. The new insurance coverage period begins March 1.
— During the public forum portion of the meeting, Darvin Markley asked the council why city crews weren't out clearing ice and snow from city streets. He commented crews were blading streets Monday morning and should have been out Sunday.
Holdeman said some of the city employees should have gone out at 4:30 a.m. Monday, worked eight hours, and gone home instead of working regular hours and impeding traffic while clearing streets.
— Economic development director Jami Williams presented a written report which included attending a seminar for bankers, and the former Marion Mini-Mall, now TC's What Not Shop, opening in March.
Williams also reported there continues to be a significant need for child care, particularly for USD 408 employees. She commented that Hillsboro has a pre-school program in the school but was told USD 408 didn't have space available for a similar program.
She and others were encouraging the local Head Start program to expand its program. If that were to occur, a larger building would be needed.
Williams commented that she has not found another city that operates a day-care facility and that it needed to be a non-profit organization or church. A local day-care was closing, Williams said, which adds to day-care woes. She said one option could be for the city to offer incentives to encourage more day-care providers.
— A new water line on West Santa Fe is near completion, reported Sanders.
— Dale Johnson and Phyllis Kreutziger were re-appointed to serve three-year terms and Royal Smith was re-appointed to serve a two-year term on the Marion Cemetery Board.
— Holdeman asked if the city could erect more street lights on South Roosevelt near St. Luke Living Center. Sanders said there may be some issues if lights and lines are installed near the helicopter landing pad.
Winkler suggested the living center could install additional lighting on the building for the parking lot.
— Tice suggested city officials compile a list of unused equipment for auction or sealed bids.
