McPHERSON, Kan. — Last week’s windstorm in the McPherson area produced a lot of tree and limb damage. How much? McPherson City Commissioner Larry Wiens said during Tuesday’s Commission meeting he spoke with an employee of the McPherson Area Solid Waste Utility Transfer Station who told him they took in 900 loads of limbs the day after the storm, and another 855 the day after that.
MASWU had extended hours last week and over the weekend to enable people to bring limbs out there.
While the city doesn’t do a limb pickup like some communities, Mayor Tom Brown said there is a lot of help available at times such as this. A number of local churches and other groups sent out crews to help with debris removal, and the mayor encouraged people who see people who need help with things like this to jump in and help.
Mayor Brown also praised Wastewater Treatment Plant personnel for the work they did to avoid even more serious situations. “We were right on the edge of having too much infiltration of rainwater into the sewer plant,” he said, adding this would have brought about even more problems.
This week’s rain coupled with what the McPherson area saw last week had significantly impacted the two street projects now in progress. Commissioner Wiens said in addition to making the 1100 block of North Elm and 800 Block of Myers lakes, it’s also hampering their ability to even move equipment citing one case in particular, where due to muddy conditions any attempt to move a piece of equipment would potentially have broken a BPU water main.
On the Elm Street project all surface materials are out, and they were working on the subgrade along with curb work on the south end to open the intersection better for residents. Once weather permits they will begin geo-grid and rock work. On Myers they have been able remove dirt and cut to the subgrade, with hauling in rock and compacting the next step there.
Commissioners approved an $8,650 payment to Matthews Environmental Services for repairs to the crematorium at the Animal Shelter. Police Chief Mikel Golden said the repairs were done to the ceramic and porcelain mixture inside the kiln that had some chipping on it. Golden added this should keep it operating for a couple more years, with plans to replace it in 2027.
Commissioners also accepted the resignation of a paid-call firefighter and an additional temporary hiring at Turkey Creek Golf Course.
The Commission approved four event requests, including assistance related to Storm the Castle, a gravel ride July 19th from McPherson to Coronado Heights northwest of Lindsborg and back. This year’s route will begin and end at the KMU complex at Avenue A and Centennial.
Also approved was the Conquer Chiari Walk Across America Sept. 20 at Wall Park, the FYR-Mac Town Row-A-Thon Oct. 11 and closing Manchester from Northview to Penn for a 4th of July block party.
