McPHERSON COUNTY, Kan. — McPherson County Commissioners Monday adopted a resolution modifying a 2021 special use permit that will enable construction of a second home on a property near 9th and Pioneer Road between McPherson and Marquette.
In 2021 the Planning Board approved a conditional use permit that allowed addition of an apartment to an existing residence used by the grandson of the property owner, which had a condition restricting the sub-dividing of the 75-acre property involved.
The specific request is to split the property into two tracts of equal size, which would allow the grandson to construct a separate residence. But for the condition on the 2021 permit, this could have been handled administratively.
Commissioners discussed whether this should be taken back to the Planning Board, sitting at the Board of Zoning Appeals. Planning Board and BZA member Jim VanGoethem did not think this would be a problem, but he was just speaking for himself.
Public Works Director David Bohnenblust told Commissioners he is requesting a traffic study of the Old Highway 81 and Arrowhead Road intersection west of Moundridge. The TEP Study would be done by a traffic safety group from the Kansas Department of Transportation, and he said this would be an intersection they would be interested in. Commissioners asked the intersection of Old 81 and 22nd Road or Christian Avenue on the south edge of Moundridge to also be looked at.
Bohnenblust also provided updates on bridge inspections and other ongoing and upcoming projects. The Commission approved promotion of an asphalt crew member in Public Works from a Maintenance Worker 2 to Maintenance Worker 3.
Commissioners Monday approved the hiring of a new field appraiser in training for the County Appraiser’s Office to fill a vacant position, and the promotion of another employee in the office. It also adopted the resolution to reappoint Appraiser Stacy Hubbard to a new four-year term in that position. State law requires appraisers be appointed or reappointed every four years
Purchase was authorized of two vehicles for Central Kansas Community Corrections. Director Sunny Milleson told commissioners she had over $115,000 left in her budget, and needed to get that spent by Monday, the end of the state fiscal year, as any unused funds have to be returned to the Kansas Department of Corrections.
Milleson noted this was an unusual situation for them due to a number of factors, among which was the fact the director’s position was vacant when the fiscal year started and a reorganization that combined three positions into two.
One of the cars is to replace one that had been totaled a few years ago and not replaced then due to lack of funds, and the other is to replace an older vehicle. Milleson said they may not be able to replace vehicles in future years due to expected cuts in state funding.
The vehicle purchase will take up just over $70,000, and Commissioners also approved purchase of a replacement server which will take up another $10-12,000 of the leftover money.
