Highlights from 7/16/24 McPherson City Commission Meeting
By Lucky Kidd
McPHERSON Kan. — The McPherson City Commission Tuesday approved a one-time appropriation to the McPherson Opera House of $100,000 for operations. This funding is being matched through a grant from the McPherson County Community Foundation. This money will pick up some of the slack as COVID-related funding is coming to an end, and Mayor Tom Brown said they are working on fundraising to sustain operations going forward.
The Commission adopted the resolutions of intent to exceed the Revenue Neutral Rate for the city’s 2025 Budget. As currently proposed, the budget calls for a levy of 53.328 mills. To levy the same amount of property tax dollars for 2024, the levy would have to be at a revenue neutral levy of 51.655 mills. The proposed levy is the same rate as was adopted for the 2024 budget. In addition, to the notification to the McPherson County Clerk regarding intent to exceed RNR, the Commission set a hearing for Aug. 20 at 9 a.m.
Multiple items for the Wastewater Treatment Plant were approved. Among them, a just over $50,000 payment to UCI for modifications to the bio-solids piping at the plant to allow staff to transfer contents of one digester compartment to another. Also approved was rebuilding and refurbishing of three electronic ballasts in the ultraviolet disinfection system that were damaged by lightning at a cost of $5,625. This was about half the cost of replacement. Replacement of a worn floor belt in the biosolids transfer truck was approved for just under $10,000 by Roto-Mix of Dodge City, the manufacturer of the box, with work to be done in Dodge City. Public Works Director Jeff Woodward also reported the old building and concrete have been removed for the Grit Removal project.
Commissioners approved purchase of a new muriatic acid booster pump for the Water Park through United Industries Inc. The current pump fell off the wall and into a muriatic acid barrel. Commissioners approved payment to Dacus Towing and Recovery to remove an inoperable RV and boat from a property at 509 South Oak, at a total cost of $299.34. Other nuisance abatement work has been done on this property.
Approval was also given to pay 2022 and 2023 invoices the city just recently received for a software tool the city uses for employee benefits enrollment guidance that could amount to nearly $4,000. There is still some issue related to the 2022 billing, and the city has told the company they would like to be timelier invoiced in the future.
A $1,500 payment to Hutton Corporation for a full concept design for a new Police Department Headquarters, which is planned to be constructed adjacent to the new North Main Fire Station. The facility would include space for a community storm shelter along with Municipal Court, meeting rooms, storage, a department emergency operations center and dispatch space, and other amenities.
The commission also approved a $676,000 payment to Hutton for work on the new Fire Station 2, payments to three vendors totaling just over $16,000 for assorted gear to be used in the new station, and purchase of a hand-held radio for the Police Department from Ka-Comm of Salina for $4,650.
Commissioners also approved various requests related to the MAC Metric bicycle event taking place this weekend, including police escorts and placing of cones Sunday morning at Journey Church to designate where people can and cannot park, and for the Conquer Chiari Walk Across America to be held at Wall Park September 21st.
