Improvents to Marion police, fire stations moving forward

Renovations, additions nearing final stages of construction

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com The new metal building at Fire Station No. 2 should be arriving soon.

Building Inspector Jerry Kelley updated the City Council on the project’s progress at its September meeting, and said the front addition to the old building had been framed.

The city is in the process of renovating the kitchen, sleeping quarters, rest room, and day area in the existing building, and building a non-attached 60 foot building with two 21foot bays with 14-foot high doors to store equipment.

“We’re jumping on it with all fours,” Kelley said. “I would say we will have it finished in about three months.”

The city is serving as its own contractor on the project.

Kelley also reported that the addition to the Police Station is done and that the parking lot will be restriped, and also that Fire Chief Woody Wheeless has given him a floor plan design wish list for Fire Station No. 1, which is still in the design phase.

In other business:

• City Planner Ed Cain told the Council that the Planning Commission approved the final plat consisting of 19 lots for the fifth addition of the Marion Lakes subdivision, the final plat consisting of 40 lots for The Reserve subdivision, and a heavy duty towing service at 380 Bob Taylor Road.

• Treasurer David Rikard told the Council that sales tax revenue for August was worse than budget for the city by 1.7 percent. Yearto- date, revenue is better than budget by 4.4 percent. Through August, general fund revenues were below budget by about $52,000, and expenditures are better than budget by about $200,000. • Building Inspector Jerry Kelly reported that there was one new home permit, no commercial, and 16 miscellaneous permits issues in August. Year-todate, there have been 23 new homes, six commercial, and 199 miscellaneous

• Fogleman informed the Council that he submitted a grant for state aid for city streets. He also met with the Highway Department, who measured several city streets that are included on the list for aid. Fogleman said the city could get about $250,000 from the state. “But there is an application process and our application probably won’t be heard until this fall or early next year,” Fogleman said. The state also asked if the city would be willing to put money toward street paving, which he was receptive to. “My two cents were that if you give us a dollar, I am willing to put a dollar with it,” Fogleman said.

• The Council approved spending up to $25,000 on a used street sweeper by a 5-1 vote. The sweeper was included in this year’s budget. Street Department Supervisor Gordon Floyd said the machine has low hours on it and is in good shape. “The newer model machine they have has a whole lot of hours on it,” Floyd said. “This was strictly a rental and they serviced it every time it came back in. Mechanical- wise, it’s a pretty good machine.” Councilman Kelly O’Neal cast the lone no vote because he said the city could lease a new one that would come with more attachments and would get more use.