Staff writer
After a 10-minute executive session with Department on Aging Coordinator Gayla Ratzlaff, Marion County Commissioners voted to reduce Lanell Hett to part-time employment, starting in 2012.
Hett works at Marion Senior Center and as the secretary of transportation and performs secretarial duties. Seniors can use the services of a volunteer driver, transporting them in the center’s vans, to go to doctor and other necessary appointments. Hett arranges those trips.
With Hett only working mornings, five days a week, Ratzlaff encourages senior citizens to call in the morning to arrange trips with the chance she could be gone or busy in the afternoon.
“That’s where service could fall through,” Ratzlaff said, “if they had to wait a full day.”
Ratzlaff said commissioners originally broached the subject of reducing Hett to part time in May and discussed putting Hett in a job-sharing situation in another department. The decision, as the commissioners told Ratzlaff, was purely related to the cost of a full-time employee for the county.
Hett will work full-time until Dec. 21.
Road and Bridge
Road and Bridge Superintendent Randy Crawford asked the commission to purchase for 1,200 tons of asphalt for road projects in Peabody and On Remington Road in 2012
The commission tabled a decision.
“I’m just trying to beat the rush,” Crawford said. “Spring comes, and everyone wants asphalt. If you don’t stay on top of roads, you’ll have to tear them up.”
Crawford also brought a proposal for a trial run a 55-foot boom lift. It would be used to trim trees and for maintenance of the three-story courthouse. A decision was tabled for a future meeting.
Area and transport fuel bids were approved. Cooperative Grain and Supply of Hillsboro won the transport fuel bid to provide 8,000 gallons of diesel and gasoline for $26,300.
Area fuel bids were split between Cardie Oil Company of Tampa, providing $2,950 gallons for $9,994, and Cooperative Grain and Supply, Providing 3,600 gallons for $12,249.
In other business:
- The county’s bond for the transfer station ends next year. Commissioner Randy Dallke estimated that the county would have an extra $101,000 to use toward the transfer station. He suggested updating the equipment at the station, but a decision was tabled for later.
- The council gave Marion County Health Department Director Diedre Serene permission to advertise a position at the department after a 10 minute executive session.
- Ratzlaff will work extra hours Dec. 6 and 7 to help residents with prescription drug enrollment.
- There is a silver angel tree event at senior centers where residents 55 and older can purchase a gift for an anonymous resident whose name has been placed on the tree.
- Jerry Kline was approved by the commission to serve another term on the North Central Area Agency on Again board.
- Commissioners met in two separate executive sessions for nonelected department head evaluations. The first of the executive sessions lasted nearly two hours. The second was for 40 minutes at the end of the meeting. No action was taken on return to open session.
- The commission approved closing dates for the courthouse and payroll dates for 2012.
- Commissioners discussed a letter received from the City of Peabody asking the county to pay for the extra $400 involved in the application for Peabody Park to be included in the Kansas Register of historic places. The commissioners agreed to send a letter back to at least split the cost.
- A strategic plan prepared by Tom Bronw of Savant Services was approved.
The next commission meeting will be today.