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Marion council approves parking lease, water and grant support, hires school security officer; sales and TIF grants also approved
Summary
The Marion City Council unanimously approved a package of motions including a lease to add roughly 20 downtown parking spaces (Resolution 20245), an engineering agreement for a Route 148 watermain relocation, support for an ITAP greenway grant (Resolution 20246), sale of a vehicle under Ordinance 3973, hiring of a school security officer and multiple TIF grant awards.
Marion’s City Council on a unanimous roll-call vote approved a set of resolutions, an engineering agreement and several personnel and grant actions during its regular meeting, with Commissioner Patton absent for all votes.
The council approved Resolution 20245 to authorize the city attorney to prepare and execute a lease for two lots behind Monroe Cleaners and RX for Pools owned by Fred Monroe that would provide roughly 20 parking spaces. Mayor Absher described the lease as a minimum 10-year arrangement in which the city would pay property taxes and the cost to resurface and maintain the asphalt; the council agreed to proceed with lease drafting and authorized negotiation.
The council approved Chief Fitz’s recommendation to hire Keith McFarren as a school security officer at the pay rate agreed between Marion Unit 2 Schools and the city; McFarren was described in the packet as a retired full‑career officer from the Heron Police Department. The motion to hire passed by roll call.
Councilors also approved Ordinance 3973 to sell a vehicle assigned to the investigations unit described in the transcript as a “213 Ford Explorer” to the City of Carrier Mills for $4,000; staff said a replacement vehicle was already in service and the sale price was based on standard valuation (Kelly Blue Book cited by a lieutenant). The council asked staff to confirm odometer and vehicle-year details as needed.
An engineering agreement with Herner Shiffrin for the Route 148/Old Route 13 watermain relocation — work tied to a new roundabout — was approved. Separately, the council adopted Resolution 20246 supporting an ITAP grant application to build a multi‑use path connecting Joseph Canon Way to the Crab Orchard Greenway; staff said the proposed connector would require right‑of‑way acquisition from Deacon’s Hospital and act as a stepping stone for future active-transportation grant applications.
Finally, councilors approved fiscal-year TIF grant awards for residential TIF 1 and TIF 2 and several supplemental residential TIF 2 grants presented on a supplemental sheet; staff indicated available balances and cautioned the council to cap awards going forward.
Votes at a glance: for each roll-call item the tally recorded in the minutes was Commissioner Patton: absent; Commissioners Barwick, Webb and Stein: yes; Mayor Absher: yes.
The council recorded no dissent on these items. Several of the actions (notably the Monroe lease and the Hub pool slide repair described elsewhere in the meeting) require subsequent staff work or formal agenda items for contracting and legal review.
