V. Hugh Lewis II/Jefferson Jimplecute
Those still dealing with lawn debris left over from the March 2 F1 tornado that hit the Kellyville and Berea areas can get some relief following Commissioners decision to open the county dumps for free to allow those affected to discard the debris.
All dump locations will accept lawn debris without dump tickets starting today, Friday, March 17, through Sunday, March . The dumps will be open during regular hours.
NETMWD is raising the cost of obtaining a permit to install a septic system.
NTMWD president George Otstott presented the situation to Marion County Commissioners on Monday, explaining that due to increased costs associated with “the performance of the duties of this program, NETMWD finds it necessary to ask the commissioners Court to allow us to increase these fees to $360 for a single family and $610 for a multifamily/commercial systems,” he said. “The fees are paid by the property owner on a on-time basis so there will not be any cost incurred by the County.”
NETMWD administrers the OSSF programs for Upshur, Cass, marion and Morris counties. They process and inspect over 300 permits each year as well as invetigate complaints for septic as well as water quality issues in each county.
Otstott said there were 36 single-family and 2 commercial installations last year in Marion County.
Commissioners unanimously approved the request.
LaFleur provided an update on the old Mims VFD Fire station lease currently being negotiated with the USACE. Commissioners have proposed renewing the lease and allowing the Lake O’the Pines Chamber of Commerce to lease the building if the Corps approves. A letter from the Chamber was provided to USACE to begin discussions.
The County’s lease expires in July, and if not renewed, the County will be required to demolish the building.
Earth Week in Marion County will be April 21-30 this year. Commissioners approved the annual event which encourages people to clear out debris and unwanted items they may not be able to easily dispose of the rest of the year.
Dumpsites will be open regular hours, and incur no charges for disposal.
Certain items cannot be taken at the locations however, including: brush, tires, shingles, paint porducts, batteries, and fiberglass boats. Oil can only be disposed of at the Pct. 2 location.
Inmate mail will be going through additional screening and delivered electronically moving forward after approval of an addendum to the NCIC agreement.
Marion County Sheriff David Capps said there has been an uptick in mail being sprayed with THC or synthetic marijuana products prior to mailing. Inmates then roll-up the paper and smoke it.
Kiosks are already avaiable for a lot of services in the jail and this is where mail will now be delivered.
Capps said Marion is one of the last counties in the state to switch to this service.
The fees for the service will be waived as commissioners approved a 2-year extension on the contract.
Repairs to the Kellyville Community Center and Park will be getting done as LaFleur notified the court he would be obtaining estimates on damage from the March 2 storm and contacting the County’s insurance company.
Damage included the roof to one pavilion in the park and several leaks in the center’s roof.
“Jacob [Pattison] has already spent about $6,000 in cleanup,” LaFleur said. “Even with the $5,000 deductible, we can recover some of those costs and do some much needed roof repairs.”
Cypress Valley Navigation District is the proud new owner of a Caroline Skiff 19’ boat following the approval to transfer it from Lake Patrol. Lake Patrol has two boats and dontated the older of the two to CVND.
Precinct 2 purchased a New Holland Tractor from Conroy Tractor Inc for $49,900 using Self Insurance Funds. The purchase was deemed immediatly needed as it replaces a 40+ year old tractor, saving tax payors money being spent on repairs.