By PHYLLIS ZORN

Staff writer

A plan to build a transfer station at the current Marion location, presented to county commissioners Monday, is likely to be accepted.

Commissioners didn’t vote to sign a contract with Kaw Valley Engineering, Emporia, but gave the proposed contract to county counsel Brad Jantz to review before they vote.

Engineer Keith Beatty brought a design that made use of a portion of the same building already being used.

“We want to keep the existing tipping floor area,” Beatty said.

Beatty’s overall plan would reuse the rest of the property, adding a second tipping floor, a workshop, and a 400-square-foot office area. The building itself would be larger than the current transfer station.

The existing tipping floor will be reinforced and repaired as part of construction work, then ultimately used as the tipping area for recyclable material.

“There will be some work that will have to be done to that tipping floor,” Beatty said. “The existing tipping floor will not carry the amount of weight that it does because it will be used for recyclables.”

Beatty’s initial estimate of the project cost is $1.44 million, far less than the projected $4.6 million proposal commissioners selected in January.

The proposal also saves the county the expense of having to build a temporary tipping floor while a transfer station is built elsewhere.

Commissioner Randy Dallke, still thinking of funding the project with a sales tax, asked county clerk Tina Spencer how early the county would be able to get a sales tax proposal on the general election ballot.

Commission chairman Dianne Novak differed, saying she would prefer the project to be factored into the budget rather than adding sales tax.

“You have businesses saying they’re already struggling,” Novak said.

Commissioner Kent Becker asked transfer station director Bud Druse if he believes Beatty’s plan is “a workable plan.”

Druse said yes.

Hillsboro mayor Lou Thurston said he likes the plan for Hillsboro, but would be opposed to another sales tax.

“We decided at our last meeting we’re going to maintain our trash service,” Thurston said.

In other matters, commissioners discussed information technology services for the county and decided to seek sealed bids for IT services.