The Marion County Board learned Tuesday night they did not make the cut for a more than $1-million state grant that would have paid most of the cost of converting two vacant lots used for parking into the 200 block of North Broadway into a parking lot with amenities.
The proposed parking lot would have included green space, a pavilion, and recharging stations for electric cars.
County Board Vice Chair and Building Committee Chair Dr. Creighton Engle says no projects were funded through the grant program in Southern Illinois. He feels there will be future grant opportunities in the future to try and obtain money to improve the parking situation. Right now uneven slabs of remaining concrete from two former businesses compose the parking lot.
The county board will have to look for new flag poles. After the badly rusted 60-foot flag poles in front of the courthouse were taken down to be powder coated, it was determined they had rusted from the inside and could not be rehabilitated. The board may look at just one tall flag pole that can fly a larger US flag than has been flown in the past.
Marion County Sheriff Andy Garden reported the sheriff’s department handled 645 calls during September and made three felony arrests. He said deputies also serve 161 papers for the court system which takes considerable time. Garden said work on the cell doors and new roof for the law enforcement center was nearing completion. He is going to get a bid for repainting the cell bars. The current paint is chipping off.
