Future of Charles Mill Dam Public Hearing, 5/12/21 Share

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The future of Marion’s Charles Mill Dam is the top­ic for a pub­lic hear­ing sched­uled for May 12^th, 2021 at 6pm at the Mat­ter Park Band­shell. The meet­ing is a coop­er­a­tive effort with the Grant Coun­ty Soil and Water Con­ser­va­tion Dis­trict, the City of Mar­i­on, its Engi­neer­ing Depart­ment, and the Mar­i­on Com­mon Coun­cil Riv­er Dis­trict Devel­op­ment Subcommittee.

The meet­ing is planned for the Band­shell for social-dis­tanc­ing rea­sons. In case of inclement weath­er, Shel­ter 5 is nearby.

Mike Graft is the Head of Engi­neer­ing; Mar­i­on City Coun­cil­man Gary T. Fordyce Sr., who rep­re­sents Ward 1, is chair­man of the Riv­er Dis­trict Devel­op­ment Sub­com­mit­tee; and Mar­i­on City Coun­cil­man Mike Cline, who rep­re­sents Ward 2, is the subcommittee’s oth­er mem­ber. The riv­er runs between Wards 1 and 2.

No deci­sion about the dam’s future will be made at the meet­ing, Graft, Fordyce, and Cline all agreed.

The pub­lic will have the oppor­tu­ni­ty to speak, and ground rules for speak­ing will be announced at the meeting.

A pre­vi­ous pub­lic hear­ing in 2020 focused on a plan to remove the dam for safe­ty and envi­ron­men­tal rea­sons. The May 12^th hear­ing will con­tin­ue that top­ic as well as dis­cuss the dam’s his­to­ry, its uses over the years, prospects for repair­ing and retain­ing the dam, and the future of Marion’s por­tion of the riv­er if the dam is removed.