By John Raffel
Correspondent
MARION – The Marion Village Council, at its meeting earlier this month listened to a presentation from Bruce Tower and David Turner on a training center proposal.
There was discussion on the location and sites such as village property at the end of West Main and a lot in the industrial park off of Lowry Street were mentioned.
Tower and Turner answered questions from the council and the public.
The issue was table for next month.
The council passed motions to donate $500 to the Household Hazardous Waste collection, to approve the 2024 tax rate request, to approve the resolution to obtain a commercial credit card and to approve the proposal for Design Engineering Services for EGLE and planning water system improvements project.
The council heard a report on the remaining ARPA money that needs to be spent in 2024 with $4,990 for building improvements in the park and $10,000 for a recreation project.
The council voted to hire a blight enforcement officer and also to hire part-time summer help for up to 24 hours per week.
President Flora Grundy said the next regular meeting is at 7 p.m. on June 6.
“We will also be holding a special meeting at 6:45 p.m. that same night for a public hearing on a special use permit request from the Chamber of Commerce. They are requesting permission to set fireworks off on Saturday, August 3, during the Old Fashion Days celebration,” Grundy said. “We were very pleased with how the annual village of Marion clean-up days turned out. Many people took advantage of this event again this year and three extra large dumpsters were filled.
“The Campground is gearing up to open for the 2024 season on May 23. The season will run through Oct. 31, 2024. Reservations can be made by visiting our website and clicking the Book Now link.
I would like to remind everyone that the Village brush pile located on 20th Avenue is designated for the disposal of yard waste only and is exclusively for the use of Village residents. Unfortunately, we have noticed that some individuals have been using it to dump trash, old cabinets, mattresses, and other non-yard waste items. To address this issue, we will be posting signs and installing cameras in the area to discourage unlawful dumping. Please help us keep our community clean and follow the rules when using the brush pile.”
Grundy added the Village just hired an Ordinance Enforcement Officer, Ronald Gwizdala.
“We have been working on filling this position for some time now and are thrilled we have finally filled it,” Grundy said. “Mr. Gwizdala started on May 13, 2024, and comes with 30 years of law enforcement background. His first focus will be on enforcing the blight violations within the Village.
Hanging baskets will be going up on Main Street before Memorial weekend. We source the hanging baskets locally from Christie’s Potting Shed and they make downtown look beautiful all summer.”
Grundy said there is an upcoming Mud Bog event that is scheduled to take place on May 18th at the Fairgrounds property.
“It is important to note that this event is not sponsored by the Village of Marion, but held as a fundraiser by the Marion Fair Board,” Grundy said. “We understand that the noise levels of this event can be significant and may cause inconvenience to some residents who are unaware of it.”
Grundy said the disc golf course is near complete and will be officially opening on May 25.
