Work on icy roads, ARPA fund distribution topics of recent county commission meetings
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by Patty Cheffey
The county road crew’s handling of the sleet, snow and ice on Jan. 1 was the topic of discussion at Monday’s Marion County Commission meeting.
Commissioners said they were pleased with the county’s work, with Eastern District Commissioner Larry Welch noting they had kept Veterans Road “looking as good as could be expected.”
After a phone call to Mike Schaefer, Marion County highway supervisor, who was out Monday in a truck assisting with the road work, Western District Commissioner Steve Begley reported the concentration up to that point had been on the county’s black topped roads as those were the ones that got slick.
The crews were expected to expand to the gravel roads, but would be applying a mixture of sand and wood chips as that mixture will stick to the roads and allow for more traction.
“Salt would melt into the road, then freeze over again,” Begley explained.
Temperatures hovered around 33 degrees on Monday, but were expected to climb into the 40s on Tuesday.
The commissioners also met after the regular meeting to do budget work. A public hearing is slated for Monday, Jan. 24, at 10 a.m. for the budget.
At last week’s meeting, which was held on Tuesday, Dec. 28, the commissioners continued to be distributed American Rescue Plan Act funds.
The commissioners approved an application, submitted by the county for $1,681,064.01 to pay payroll for the Marion County Sheriff’s Department for March 26, 2021 through Dec. 30, 2021.
The payment for emergency services is allowable under the current guidelines for the ARPA funds.
Also last week, the commissioners signed a letter of support for the Hannibal School District for the Career and Technical Center.
According to the letter, Hannibal School District is hoping to expand it’s Career and Technical Center into a Regional Development Center, thereby allowing for the regional demand to be met and high-quality, good paying jobs be available.
The Regional Innovation Campus will be a state-of-the-art facility that will include a machine shop, welding training facility, health care laboratories, leasable workspace, classroom and office space that can be utilized by community partners, according to the letter of support.
The commission last week also approved a flood buyout lease for $25 per year for a 10-year period with Loribeth Branch.
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