By Lucky Kidd
McPHERSON, Kan. — The McPherson City Commission Tuesday approved the resolution authorizing the sale of $3 million in Temporary Notes for a project to replace the irrigation system at Turkey Creek Golf Course. The notes are being purchased by Peoples Bank and Trust with a four percent interest rate with maturity June 1, 2025, and provisions to call the note at any time without penalty. That project got underway Monday and will be completed by the end of the year.
The Commission approved an ordinance changing electric service schedules including an adjustment to the city transfer charge, which will go to 2.05 mills per kilowatt hour… still a small fraction of one cent a kilowatt hour. This also involves adjustment in electric rates to achieve cost of service-based rates for all customers.
Commissioners approved a contract with Alfred Benish and Company for design services on a reconstruction of Myers Street from 1st to Hulse. This would normally be done in-house but due to some software issues it was necessary to bid this out in order for the project to be let next year. Also approved was purchase of up to three pallets of crack seal material to be used on streets that will get a chip and fog seal in the near future.
Public Works Director Jeff Woodward also updated Commissioners on ongoing projects including drainage work along Euclid, on which a staking error was found requiring a re-set of the line, and they needed to relocate wiring for traffic signals and a sewer lateral to make room for the storm sewer, on which work continues east of Main Street to past Ash.
Parking lot and renovation work at the Park Department Administrative office was approved with a cost of $12,230. It is being done by Tim Cheatham, who had the lowest of three bids submitted.
Commissioners approved purchase of concrete for paving the exterior of the new North Main Fire Station, this work to be done by city crews. The cost for 1,236 yards of 6 sack concrete is $150 a yard, to be purchased from one of two vendors depending on who is available for a particular pour. This work is being taken out of the contract with Hutton and will be paid for directly with the city. Also, for the new station, 60 bags of grass seed were purchased, for just over $4,400 from Helena, with plans for the Park Department to begin planting in the 3rd week of September.
A payment was approved to Superior Emergency Response vehicles for a partial upfitting of three Fire Department Command Vehicles. Some of the equipment installation involved was done in-house to hold down the cost. Commissioners approved a payment to Tim Unruh for parts and labor related to some of the accessory components for the 1928 American LaFrance Fire Truck, restoration of which has been covered entirely through private funds.
Two more nuisance abatements were dealt with by McPherson City Commissioners Tuesday. Green Thumb Lawn and Landscaping was awarded contracts to mow, weed eat, remove brush, trim trees and remove debris at 912 Cottonwood where the owner made no attempt to clean up the property after notice was given, and to do the same work along with cleaning up trash and other debris, the owner here also not acting on the notice of violation.
Total cost came to $3,900 between the two properties to be billed to the owners along with an additional just over $69 to Dacus Towing and Recovery to haul off an inoperable vehicle. In another code enforcement item, the Commission authorized destruction of old code enforcement files, some of which date from the late 1990’s
The Commission approved a revised fee schedule that replaces deposits with a new schedule of adoption fees which will vary depending on age of dog and whether it has been spayed or neutered.
The Commission also approved annual payment of membership dues for the McPherson Chamber of Commerce, event approvals for the McPherson College Cruise-In and a neighborhood block party, and the attendance of City Administrator Austin Regier at the University of Kansas’s Certified Public Manager program.
