By Lucky Kidd
McPHERSON, Kan. — McPherson City Commissioners Tuesday approved a payment not to exceed $5,000 for Plan 4 Architecture Design of architectural plan drawings for the Police Department Substation. The substation is to be located at 218 East Kansas, in what at one time was a building used by what is now the Kansas Department for Children and Families. Commissioners also approved the hiring of a crossing guard and purchases of duty and range ammunition from two vendors, along with an annual purchase of case jackets and this year receipt books for Municipal Court.
Updated job descriptions for the position of firefighter and authorization to start the hiring process for a new firefighter were approved. The job description revisions are part of an overall process by the fire department to state more concise descriptions of certification requirements, and also changes the residency requirement from a current seven miles to 20 minutes legal drive time from the East Kansas fire station.
The commission approved purchase of new fire training software that will have a lower price than what they had been using, payment of the second invoice to Hutton for Fire Station 2 on North Main, and a pump gauge for the 1928 American LaFrance fire truck on which restoration is nearing completion.
Commissioners approved spending up to $2,000 to rent a truck through Penske to haul retaining wall blocks from McPherson Concrete to Turkey Creek Golf Course as part of a project being done by Prairie Landworks. Loading will be done by McPherson Concrete and unloading by PLI. Public Lands and Facilities Director Wayne Burns also provided updates on current projects, including the irrigation system replacement at Turkey Creek Golf Course along with projects at the Park Administration Office and some final items for the Challenger Park pickleball courts.
A new yard of the year contest is being started by the City of McPherson, administered by the code enforcement officer and approved by the City Commission Tuesday, an award will be given to a residential property in each of the four wards of the city, with citizens making nominations. The winners will be selected based on a specific set of criteria that would be examined by a panel of judges comprising city employees and others.
Commissioners approved submission of a request for a six-month time extension to complete the 2022 Community Development Block Grant home rehabilitation projects. The project on South Walnut has seen four homes completed, and four more approved and inspected in the project pipeline with one potential home preparing for inspections. The time extension requested will allow completion all projected by next March.
