Marion orders fence, outbuildings demolished, ignores owner’s plea

By MINDY KEPFIELD

Staff writer

Marion city council ignored pleas for more time from the owner of a property earlier deemed an ‘illegal dump site’ Monday evening and ordered outbuildings and a fence demolished.

The action caps more than year of disputes between the city and Kevin W. Geren.

Geren was first ordered by the municipal court and then the Kansas Department of Health and Environment to clean up the site at 702 S. Cedar.

“Well, just p—- on me then, all right,” said Geren angrily after a council member told him the resolution passed.

Geren told the council back injuries from an accident hampered his efforts to get work done on the property.

“I am not supposed to be picking nothing heavy up for two years,” he said during public comment. “We’re getting it done… I would just like to ask for a couple weeks’ extension.”

The city council passed a resolution Oct. 20 ordering Geren to remove the outbuildings that were thrown up to cover cars and other debris.

Marion police chief Clinton Jeffrey and assistant chief Steve Janzen inspected the site Dec. 1 and confirmed the work had not been done, city manager Roger Holter said.

“The buildings have been in demise, the materials have not been removed from the site, and metal fencing has not been bought up to standard,” he said.

Marion mayor David Mayfield said Geren still has until the resolution has been published twice to comply with the order.

“So, he’s got that long,” Mayfield said. “We’ll publish it this week and we’ll publish it next week.”

The city’s next move will depend on Geren, he said.

“He needs to clean it up,” Mayfield said.