By Lucky Kidd
McPHERSON, Kan. — The McPherson Fire department is getting a new slide-in wildland fire unit. The unit, which can be placed on a utility vehicle when the National Weather Service issues a fire weather alert, will replace a 30 year old unit that has become unreliable. The department has only one type 6 wildland brush truck meeting FEMA requirements. A $4,999 grant from the Kansas Forest Service is going towards the $16,839 cost of the new unit.
At the City of McPherson Commission Meeting Tuesday, Aug. 15, Commissioners also approved payment of 25,758 dollars for replacement of PPE equipment damaged in the March train derailment, and payment of 22,500 dollars to Hutton for design services on the new north side fire station.
A change order on the Lakeside Park bank restoration project was approved by Commissioners. The contractor is adding a fourth course of wall for a part of the project that became evident once the first three courses were in. The change order covering materials for the 512 foot wall segment will increase project costs by just under $46,000.
Commissioners also approved $2,500 of materials for curb and street repairs at the intersection of Kansas and Elder, and modification on forks to fit a new front end loaded, which will cost $3,465
The Commission approved a $2,700 payment for a re-testing of whole effluent toxicity on treated discharge from the Wastewater Treatment Plant. Public Works Department Director Jeff Woodard said the first test failed and KDHE directed a re-test be done. This testing has to be done annually by federal law once per year. Commissioners also approved a nearly $17,000 payment to Dennis Friesen for farming services including swathing and bailing of hail on city-owned ground used for biosolid disposal from the treatment plant.
Re-zoning of the new Veranda West subdivision from agriculture to single family residential was approved as recommended by the Planning Commission. By state law, when the property came into the city it was zoned as Agriculture per state law. It also approved renaming of a street connecting the new subdivision to the existing Veranda Addition to make the name common for both streets. Also approved was re-zoning of the site for the new north side fire station from the county agricultural zoning to residential, which the new fire station is a permitted use in.
The Commission adopted the 2023 versions of the Standard Traffic Ordinance and Uniform Public Offense Code published by the League of Kansas Municipalities. The two documents are revised annually and incorporate various changes made to state law over the past year and any court rulings related to existing laws,
Approval was also given to $2,552 reimbursement to the McPherson Housing Coalition from an Emergency Solutions Grant covering expenses incurred under the grant for July, a just over $3,700 reimbursement to their insurance carrier related to a May auto accident claim where the city was found liable, and a $500 visitor attraction grant for the McPherson Lacrosse Club and Central Kansas Fellowship of Christian Athletes for the K-State vs. OSU Fall Scrimmage, clinic and registration for the FCA Lacrosse League November 4th, which will be either in McPherson or Inman.
Commissioners also approved a conditional job offer for a crossing guard pending meeting pre-employment requirements, and accepted the resignation of a park department maintenance worker.
