City Council

MCPHERSON, Kan. — The McPherson City Commission will weigh significant investments in local workforce education, public safety and infrastructure during its Tuesday, March 17 meeting. Highlighting the agenda is a proposed $124,500 contribution to the McPherson Industrial Development Company to help launch SME PRIME, a nationally recognized manufacturing and engineering program at McPherson High School. The initiative, which was recently presented to the USD 418 Board of Education as a strategy to address regional workforce gaps, will provide students with hands-on technical training and industry credentials. Commissioners will also review key public safety expenditures, including a $17,400 purchase of four 40-foot shipping containers to build a fire and rescue training prop and $16,000 to restock annual police ammunition. In addition to authorizing $198,000 for easements tied to the Tulip Alley Drainage Project and a state agreement for U.S. 56 pavement restoration, the council is slated to approve $8,500 for the city's historic All Schools Day fireworks show on May 8, review various public park event requests and finalize a wage scale for a new seasonal water park manager position.

City Study Session

MCPHERSON, Kan. — The McPherson City Commission will convene Tuesday for a study session to review a diverse municipal agenda, highlighted by a proposed $64,846.80 installment promissory note with McPherson College to finalize the school’s 40% cost-share for the $162,117 paving of Eshelman Street, a public works project tied to the college's recent campus expansion. Mayor Jim Loving and the commissioners will also consider a $4,620 annual contract for the police department to utilize LeadsOnline, an investigative software designed to track scrap metal and pawned goods across the country to recover stolen property. Fire department requests include a $30,068.64 purchase of eight sets of Morning Pride bunker gear—partially offset by an $11,175 state firefighters association grant—and a $5,650 preventative storm siren maintenance agreement with Blue Valley Public Safety. Rounding out the morning session in the Municipal Center's A/B Conference Room, officials will evaluate a $20,070 non-park highway mowing contract with Prairie Landworks, weigh the replacement of cloth chairs in the Community Building, cover a $597.17 repair deficit for a park vehicle, and launch preliminary discussions for the city's 2027 budget.

County

MCPHERSON, Kan. — The McPherson County Board of Commissioners will consider establishing a new fee schedule for cell tower operators and review several substantial public works equipment requests during their Monday morning meeting, which continues to be held at the Public Works facility due to the ongoing County Building renovation project. According to the meeting's agenda, Planning, Zoning, and Environment Administrator Jon Kinsey will lead a discussion on charging cell operators within the strict fee maximums established by Kansas state law. Meanwhile, the Public Works department is seeking approval to purchase a $36,000 steel belly end dump trailer to replace aging equipment and will request nearly $11,000 to repair a damaged Caterpillar loader. Commissioners are also slated to review updates on several regional infrastructure hurdles—including an upcoming Kansas Department of Transportation meeting regarding potential changes to Highway 56 through Galva. The meeting, which begins at 9 a.m. at the county's Public Works facility at 1115 W. Avenue A, will conclude with a commission tour of the county data center at 10:30 a.m.

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