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McPherson County Commissioners Address Housing Challenges and Future City Boundaries

May 5 McPherson County Commission Meeting

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During their meeting on May 5th, the McPherson County Commission discussed key takeaways from a recent housing symposium or conference attended by local business leaders. A prominent issue identified was that small cities in the county appear to face challenges in maintaining building or code inspectors, often because there isn't enough work to justify a full-time position. One suggestion emerging from the conference was for cities to potentially collaborate to address this lack of consistent inspection services. It was noted that a previous attempt by one city to use a private firm for these services was unsuccessful. Other suggestions included the possibility of a countywide marketing person and sharing the housing study on the county website.

The discussion also highlighted a new level of state engagement, with representatives from the Commerce Department indicating a willingness to meet quarterly with the county group. This enhanced partnership is attributed to actions taken by the county over the past several years and aims to streamline communication by reducing the volume of individual phone calls and grouping requests. Additionally, the county's Planning Zoning Environment Administrator announced plans to contact each city within the county during May to explore potential changes to their Extraterritorial Jurisdictions (ETJs) and initiate that negotiation process. This effort seeks to address current needs, such as assisting cities that are physically saturated and may benefit from extended review capabilities outside their immediate limits.

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