McPHERSON COUNTY, Kan. — McPherson County Commissioners approved the final vehicle purchase of 2025 for the Sheriff’s Office Monday. Undersheriff James Bergstrom told Commissioners has been looking for a used vehicle that he would be using, with his current vehicle to be moved to a detective unit.
Long MacArthur in Salina had on their lot a 2021 police package Ford F150 pickup that had come off lease use as an administrative vehicle, with a cost of $36,300 with under 30,000 miles on it. A new version of this pickup currently has a list price of around $55,000.
The vehicle Bergstrom currently uses will become a detective vehicle with the existing detective vehicle, which at one time was a patrol unit, to replace the department’s transport vehicle which has 140,000 miles on it.
Sheriff Jerry Montagne in his report said the jail census as of this morning was at 50, a bit higher than usual, with 16 arrests made last week. The major thing they had over the 4th of July weekend was a chase on I-135 where the driver, who was going in excess of 100 miles an hour, was able to get away. Commissioners also approved a personnel change notice for an end of introductory raise for a sheriff’s deputy.
Construction activity in McPherson County through the first six months of 2025 is running a bit ahead of 2024’s pace. Planning, Zoning, and Environmental Administrator Jon Kinsey told Commissioners valuation of that construction comes to $11.3 million, with fees collected coming to $20,685.
During June, three zoning permits and eight agricultural exemption permits were issued, with a combined valuation of $1.475 million, much of which was on one chicken barn project.
Kinsey also provided an update on digitizing of survey reports and planning and zoning matters, with the survey scanning expected to be done by the end of the month and the planning and zoning folders to be done by the end of the month, after which the two seasonal employees hired for this project will begin indexing. To date, each of the seasonal employees have used 125 hours of the 500 hours authorized for the project.
Commissioners approved a proposal and scope letter for a structural evaluation for the Courthouse. This work is being done by Engineering Consultants of Hutchinson for a cost not to exceed $4,380. County Administrator Rick Witte said in discussions with Max Fuqua, whose firm is doing the County Building renovations, this study will look at items that could be addressed in the short term, along with those that should be kept in mind for future years.
