By Lucky Kidd
McPHERSON, Kan. — A no parking zone along the 100 feet south of First Street on Hartup was approved by McPherson City Commissioners Tuesday. Public Works Director Jeff Woodward said they had received a request to restrict parking, and after evaluation by him and the Street Superintendent it was determined this would alleviate issues at that intersection.
An agreement for use of the Community Building by McPherson Middle School was approved by McPherson City Commissioners Tuesday. MMS uses the Community Building’s Globe Refiners Court for basketball and volleyball, and because this use falls outside of their normal fee schedule the agreement is based on a flat annual fee which for the 2024-25 school year will be $3,700, a slight reduction from last year.
Four items for Wastewater Treatment Plant items were approved, among which was renewal of the primary control software systems support agreement. This through Logic Inc has an annual cost of just over $6,800.
Also approved were payments to Hedlund Electric to repair a broken fiber line at the plant and to McPherson Quality Air for repairs to a sewer main near Manor Court that was hit by BPU due to it being mislabeled by the locator company, which is being billed for the just over $3,000 cost.
Commissioners approved a travel request for WWTP Superintendent Mike Wagner to attend the Kansas Water Environment Association conference in Wichita.
The Commission also approved an additional payment to Cody Heiman for concrete work on an alley entrance on Skancke requested by Public Works over and above the original estimate which was requested and paid for by the McPherson Housing Coalition.
A just over $8,900 bid from Jantz Lumber for materials to install a railing around the south and west sides of the new pickleball courts in Challenger Park was accepted. This will address ADA and code requirements for some spots around the courts where there is more than a 32-inch drop from the court edges to the surrounding ground. Four quotes were received from five bidders solicited and Jantz’s bid was just over $200 above one from an out-of-town bidder.
Commissioners adopted the updated versions of the Standard Traffic Ordinance and Uniform Public Offense Code. These are published and annually revised by the League of Kansas Municipalities to reflect changes in state law and court decisions over the past year, of which there was one of the latter related to the offense of disorderly conduct as decided by the Kansas Supreme Court. The adoptions do have some modifications to them based on differences with existing city codes, which are done as part of the annual adoption.
Commissioners accepted the resignation of Treg Fawl as program coordinator at Turkey Creek Golf Course effective Oct. 25. Commissioners approved the permanent transfer of Dillon Short to the role of Administrative Assistant for the Fire Department. Short has been serving in this position on an interim basis since the prior assistant left last December.
Also approved was hiring of Joshua Wehrman as a paid call firefighter, He had previously served as a summer intern for the Department, and of Mark Brinck as a temporary event assistant for the Community Building, a position authorized earlier this year.
Commissioners approved an event request for the Childhood Cancer Awareness Walk Saturday, Sept. 21. The Walk will begin at 5 p.m. at Genesis Health Club and go south to the Plaza. There could be a slight deviation of the route if the Euclid Street drainage project requires it. Gloria Schroeder, who coordinates the event, said one addition to the walk this year is luminaries, which were part of the Relay for Life that ended several years ago. Commissioners also approved a proclamation for National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in September.
During the meeting, Commissioners also approved the event request for the Suicide Prevention and Awareness Walk Sept. 28 at Memorial Park.
