Marion County Commissioners Monday approved a resolution banning wind energy conversion systems in a portion of the county. The resolution covers the four townships in the southwest corner of Marion County, basically the area around Goessel and to the south of the city of Hillsboro. A separate resolution that would prohibit large scale solar systems in the same area is expected to come before Commissioners for action next week.
Commissioners Monday agreed to sign a letter of support on behalf of an application being submitted to the Kansas Department of Commerce for tax credits in support of the restoration of the Sunflower Theatre in Peabody.
During the meeting Commissioners signed a letter authorizing submission of a cost share grant application to the Kansas Department of Transportation for a project along Nighthawk Road between 190th Road. If funded, KDOT would provide half of the construction funding on the estimated $900,000 project.
It also approved the 2025 Noxious Weed Eradication report and 2026 Weed Management Plan, and accepted the low bid from CFS Engineering for 2026 biennial bridge inspections, and 2027 annual inspections required on some bridges.
Marion County Planning, Zoning, and Environmental Health Director Sharon Omstead presented a quarterly update. For the first three months of the year four residential permits were issued, two for completely new homes and to replace existing residences. Also approved were eight wastewater system permits, a combination of new systems and replacement, one livestock water well, one floodplain permit and one special event permit.
Omstead also reviewed matters before the Planning Commission and Board of Zoning Appeals, violation matters where progress is being made on some properties and legal action needing to be taken on others.
For 2025, Marion County saw 11 primary structure permits; 51 for accessory structures, seven floodplain development permits, 17 private wastewater permits, 11 private water wells, eight certificates of occupancy, seven special permits, one sign, and six authorizations from KDHE to bury structures onsite.
