By PHYLLIS ZORN

Staff writer

Florence mayor Bob Gayle presented an offer to county commissioners Tuesday that he hoped they couldn’t refuse.

While they did not refuse, they also didn’t accept.

“It came to our attention that you guys are still struggling to find a transfer station location,” Gayle said.

He offered 14 acres southeast of the intersection of US-77 and US-50 just north of Florence. The land was formerly the location of a high school football field.

“The city of Florence has identified one, possibly two water mains on the property,” Gayle said.

Access to the property would be from 8th St.

“It seems to me you’d want to consider the cost savings of that location,” Gayle said.

The county hauls solid waste to a landfill at El Dorado, and having a transfer station at Florence would shave off miles of hauling costs, he said.

“The city of Florence would be very agreeable and make it easy for you to work with it,” Gayle said. “I think there’s nothing wrong with releasing the property to you.”

Asked about cost of the land, Gayle said the county could buy it “for a song.”

Commissioner Randy Dallke asked who owns property that neighbors the former football field, saying neighbors of the former Straub building in Marion had objected to putting a transfer station there. When neighbors signed a petition objecting to a transfer station being placed there, the county’s deal with the owners fell through.

Transfer station supervisor Bud Druse, however, brought yet another transfer station cost estimate proposed by BG Consultants, the engineering company that has worked with the county as it explored transfer station designs.

The $2.2 million cost estimate is for a 75’x75’ building southwest of Marion on 180th Rd. That location, west of an existing county shop, has been bandied around since soon after the city of Marion accepted a county offer to pay $6,500 for land on Washington St.

Although the commission has been mired in indecision for weeks where — and indeed if —to build a transfer station, they did decide that they need to get off home plate.

Dallke said he’d spoken to the landowner of the proposed 180th Rd. location and the landowner said he’s willing to entertain an offer to sell the land.

“Now Florence has come forward with an offer,” Dallke said.

“I think what we need to do now is make a decision on location,” commission chairman Dianne Novak said.

Commissioner Kent Becker said he likes the idea of a centralized location for the transfer station, and Novak agreed, saying she questions whether a Florence location would be convenient for everybody.

Commissioners voted to at least get the ball rolling by applying for a Kansas Department of Health and Environment permit to build a transfer station at the 180th Rd. location and changing the application later if a different location is ultimately selected.