Marion revives historic district
Staff writer
An effort to get Marion’s downtown designated as a historic district — opening the door to tax credits to pay for building improvements — will continue after a five-year hiatus touched off by 2020’s COVID-19 pandemic.
City council members voted Tuesday to approve a proposal from Ben Moore Studio to shepherd the program. The process usually takes a year to a year and a half.
When the architectural firm last surveyed the downtown area in 2019, a total of 44 buildings were nominated for the Kansas Historical Society to review.
The buildings were in an area that included Main St. from Walnut to 5th Sts., 3rd St. from Valley United Methodist Church to Marion City Library, and adjoining areas.
Once the proposed district is submitted to the state, it’s hard to add buildings to it later, Moore said.
Buildings have to be at least 50 years old. Nearly all of Marion’s downtown buildings were nominated in 2019.
COVID-19 shutdowns brought progress to a halt because it prevented a round of required community meetings.
“It’s important to have those public meetings so everyone knows what’s going on,” Moore told council members Tuesday. “It’s better to have everyone on board.”
Administrator search
In other business Tuesday, council members reviewed Kansas League of Municipalities’ proposed four page flyer seeking a city administrator.
The flyer describes Marion’s location, schools, attractions and entertainment, community development, economy and economic development, medical services, and city services.
A position overview lists key responsibilities as overseeing daily operations of city departments, working closely with the city council, preparing and managing the budget, administrating planning and zoning, writing grants, being a liaison between the city and the public, supporting economic development, and representing the city at meetings, community events, and regional forums. Compensation is listed at $100,000 to $115,000.
Mayor Mike Powers said council members with comments or proposed changes should get them to interim administrator Mark McAnarney within a week.