McPHERSON COUNTY, Kan. — McPherson County Commissioners Monday approved a road crossing permit to allow Enterprise to make repairs to a gas line going under 14th Avenue or Old 81 highway south of Navajo Road north of McPherson but required that work to be done by boring rather than digging up part of 14th as the company wanted to.
Public Works Director David Bohnenblust told Commissioners he opposed allowing Enterprise to dig up that road. Bohnenblust said this would be consistent with existing policy of the county, noting it’s prior status as the original US 81 with a strong base and concrete footing with asphalt overlay. If it were to have been torn up, Bohnenblust said they would be dealing with settling problems for years.
Digging up the road would have also required a full closure of 14th for an estimated five days, as he didn’t want traffic to have to go around what he said would be a ten-foot hole. A detour would likely have involved use of I-135 and other blacktop roads.
The Commission also approved updated job descriptions Bohnenblust submitted for engineering tech positions, and filling of two of those. It also approved a job description for a newly created position of bridge and drainage maintenance foreman, and promotion of Troy Schroeder to fill it.
Emergency Management and Communications Director Emily Yates said there is still some equipment yet to arrive for the new 911 tower in the Windom area. Yates said that equipment is expected to be shipped around June 30th, and a tower crew to return in mid-July to install it, at which point the site would be “functional.” Commissioners also approved hiring of an emergency communications dispatcher.
Commissioners approved four subdivision plats that applications for had been submitted prior to a moratorium being put in place. One is for a two lot small tract subdivision in the 1800 block of 19th Avenue northeast of McPherson. The second involved a 15 acre property west of Inman where an executor’s deed had split the property without following normal procedures. The third was for a two lot subdivision on a nearly 38 acre site south of Galva, and the fourth was for a five acre one lot subdivision southeast of Lindsborg near 16th and Smoky Valley Road. This one did have opposition from a couple of nearby landowners.
Also approved was a special use permit for a just over six acre site north of Moundridge by a house moving business that has been in existence there since 1979 and to allow construction of an equipment storage building. Planning, Zoning and Environmental Administrator Jon Kinsey said there were some floodplain issues associated with this property.
The Commission authorized purchase of a vehicle for Community Corrections, Director Sunny Milleson said this is to replace an existing 20-year-old vehicle. Due to timing factors connected with the end of the state fiscal year it operates under, Milleson said the purchase has to be made no later than June 17th, and whether she proceeds will depend on what level of funding remains in their state block grant. With that, Commissioners authorized spending up to $36,000 for the vehicle. It also authorized signing of documents permitting transfer of funds from one line to another within the Community Corrections Budget which due to the amount involved the Commission has to approve.
