By Lucky Kidd
McPHERSON COUNTY, Kan. — McPherson County Commissioners conducted the canvass Monday for last week’s Presidential Preference Primary Election. County Clerk Hollie Melroy said 26 provisional ballots were cast in the election, of which 14 were allowed to be counted. This was mainly ballots designated provisional due to poll worker error of people who had moved within the county.
All told, 9.67 percent of McPherson County’s registered voters cast ballots, which Melroy said was similar to other counties around the state. While not good, she noted it was a lot better than some as she understood Sedgwick County had just a three percent voter turnout.
During the meeting, a personnel change order was approved for hiring of a correctional officer at the jail. Sheriff Jerry Montagne said this will bring them to within one person of being at full staff, and there is an application in process to fill it. Montagne also reported the jail census as of Monday was 41, lower than it has been, with 17 arrests during the past week.
Commissioners approved an annual Aid to Local Grant submission for the McPherson County Health Department. This grant covers a number of programs including family planning, immunization, public health emergency preparedness, and state formula funding, the latter of which is set by the Kansas Legislature and Director Shalei Shea said hasn’t been increased since the 1990’s. Overall, this amounts to around 15 percent of the department’s budget.
The Commission approved a job description for a Public Health Billing Clerk, which is a re-working of an existing position to reflect current and what Shea said is realistic needs of the department. This position would be funded through existing department funds, and Shea was given permission to seek applications to fill it.
Finished plans and a guaranteed maximum price for the renovation of the McPherson County Building at 122 West Marlin should be ready in July. Representatives of Fuqua Construction told Commissioners in late April there will be a meeting to review plans for the project, during which they will look at any revisions that might be needed in specific offices. Representatives of affected departments will be part of this review. The project will involve relocation of some offices now housed in the Courthouse into the one time bank building, along with various other remodeling. During Monday’s meeting, Commissioners also signed two quit claim deeds for plots at Crestwood Memorial Park cemetery north of McPherson.
