McPHERSON, Kan. — McPherson street crews were busy last week, and not just due to the hydrochloric acid incident. Public Works Director Eric Duerksen told McPherson City Commissioners at the Commission Meeting Tuesday that crews went out Monday to take care of treating streets following the first snowfall of the season.
They also had to deal with another incident involving a salt truck which actually worked out OK for the city. A salt truck going through the city had a gate that was not completely shut and spilled salt onto a road. Duerksen said they deal with this once or twice a year, and in this case, they weren’t able to get the driver notified. However, they were able to get 11 tons of free salt which they put into their stockpile for this winter.
On the two active projects, crews are finishing up sidewalk tie-ins in the 800 block of Myers and tilling up dirt for final grading. On the Northview sidewalk project KDOT has approved changes related to a utility conflict with materials ordered for pipe work, and curb work was done on the south side. Wet grounds prevented work on the sidewalk part of it but they are back working this week.
Payment for a $3,890 emergency repair to the Woodside sewer lift station was approved by Commissioners. During a routine pump inspection, a pump came loose from its lifting device and fell to the bottom of the wet well, damaging its discharge piping. As the station was running at 50 percent capacity and there was an impending rain event that had the potential to back sewage into homes.
When the station was constructed in 2001, piping was partially installed for a third pump if capacity needed to be expanded, but valves were not installed. While wastewater treatment plant staff worked to retrieve the pump, UCI was brought in to complete the piping.
Commissioners approved payment of their 2026 property tax bill. While the city is exempt from ad valorem property taxes, they are still assessed McPherson County’s landfill fees, which for 2025 came to just over $21,000, which was a slight decrease from 2024.
A conditional job offer was approved for an administrative assistant/crime intelligence analyst, to begin Jan. 5, 2026, pending completion of pre-employment requirements.
The Commission also approved renewal of two enhanced cereal malt beverage licenses.
