Marion County employees’ benefit packages for this year and next are set, after the Board of Supervisors approved them at their meeting on Tuesday morning.

The HMO and PPO plans have been approved, and the board has also approved employees’  health, dental, vision, health savings accounts and voluntary life insurance.

The Board has also approved the purchase and installation of pre-fabricated tornado shelters at seven county properties; three will go to the Marion County Public Health Department, and one apiece to each of six buildings used by the Road Department.

Total cost for the shelters is just over $39,000; the county had hoped to do the installation using its own personnel and equipment, but County Engineer Tyler Christian says this isn’t practical. The installation will cost an additional $11,000.

The county will also begin to develop ordinances and procedures to cover the installation of wind generators; no proposals are before the county right now, but officials want to be prepared if and when this does occur.