Hillsboro Free Press

The council once again discussed the need to raise sewer rates in order to receive grant money for sewer system upgrades. Goessel’s sewer rates are too low; the city will not qualify for the grant if the rates are not raised to an appropriate amount. City clerk Jennifer Whitehead reminded the council that the city currently charges $36.95 per month. It is possible that the city might need to raise the rates to $48.98 per month. However, the council decided to make several raises instead of one larger one. Therefore, the council proposed an incremental raise of $5 at this time, [...]

The Florence City Council continues searching for the best options to fix or buy some costly items in the near future. One of the most expensive endeavors could be levee certification and accreditation by two federal agencies, and last week Council member Trayce Warner said the city met with three different engineering firms to get the process going. “Each of these three firms,” she said, “will provide certification that the levee is capable of withstanding a 100-year flood, and once they sign off on the certification, then it is up to FEMA to certify the levee is safe.” According to information [...]

The council spent considerable time discussing Ordinance 277 about dogs. The six-page ordinance provides for ticketing and fines for dogs running at large, prohibits dogs from being a nuisance or disturbing the peace, sets regulations for dangerous and vicious dogs, and stipulates penalties for violations. The city’s attorney, Josh Boehm, answered questions and provided clarification. (Read more: Hillsboro Free Press)

Marion County residents will soon be paying more to dump trash. Beginning next year, residents will be charged $100 per year to use the county transfer station for waste disposal. This is an increase of $19 annually per household, or $1.58 per month, from last year’s fee of $81. The Marion County Board of Commissioners, at their June 18 meeting, approved the 23 percent increase to the county’s residential transfer station fee. Revenue generated from the fee increase will be used to pay for a new transfer station building. The increase is expected to generate close to $95,000 in additional county [...]

Less than half of Marion County residents who would benefit from mental health care are receiving treatment. That’s what Jessie Kaye, president and CEO of Prairie View Mental Health Center, told Marion County commissioners Monday. Kaye, who has worked with Prairie View for 13 years, said 20 percent of people in Kansas suffer from some form of mental illness. The problem is especially prevalent in Marion County, Kaye said. Marion County is in the bottom third of the state in per capita funding for community mental health clinics. Marion ranks 71st among the state’s 105 counties, according to data provided by [...]

The city of Marion took steps Monday to move forward on two long-term projects. First, the city approved a bid to officially begin its downtown revitalization project, five years after the process began. Then, the city accepted two grants from the Kansas Department of Transporta­tion for upgrades to the city’s airport. This process began three years ago. Each were unanimously approved with minimal discussion. “While there was not much fanfare here tonight, these are major, long-term decisions for the city,” Marion Mayor Todd Heit­schmidt said. “Long term, I feel very good about these decisions.” (Read more: Hillsboro Free Press)

Marion County residents may soon be able to take their ATVs to the lake. Isaac Hett, director of the county’s parks and lake department, informed Marion County commissioners Monday that his department has discussed allowing full use of all-terrain vehicles on Marion County Lake roads. “It’s something we’ve been talking about,” Hett said. Currently, the county allows ATV use on lake roads only for those with a special handicap license and permit. Hett said he’d like to see ATV use expanded to all drivers. “We’re talking about the possibility of offering the permit to any Marion County resident,” Hett said. Use [...]

The Hillsboro City Coun­cil at its March 27 special meeting discussed a potential new ordinance for the city regarding dogs. City Attorney Josh Boehm said the new ordinance leans toward addressing the behavior of dogs rather than banning a particular breed. “This is driven by the police department having reoccurring issues regarding dogs—dogs at-large, aggressive dogs and complaints regarding pit bulls,” Boehm said with input from Police Chief Dan Kin­ning. Boehm said the Kansas League of Municipalities, a nd most cities in the state, are moving away from using breed-specific bans or language. “(Dog complaints aren’t) something that’s specific to Hillsboro—it’s [...]