Upcoming municipal meetings

MCPHERSON, Kan. — The McPherson County Commission will consider rescinding a controversial zoning fee schedule and extending moratoriums on commercial renewable energy projects during its meeting Monday. Following complaints from local realtors regarding excessive costs for historic farmsteads, the Planning Board voted earlier this month to recommend revoking Resolution 2025-10, a move commissioners will review alongside proposals to extend bans on commercial battery energy storage, data centers, and hydrogen energy facilities through late 2026 to allow time for regulatory development. Additionally, the board is scheduled to vote on selling the county-owned McKIDS Building at 1106 Hospital Drive to local behavioral health center Prairie View, Inc. for $300,000 and awarding a bid for 2026 road milling projects.

The McPherson City Commission will meet Tuesday to consider nearly $90,000 in police vehicle upgrades and more than $31,000 in repairs for the city’s water park. The police department is requesting authorization to purchase two 2026 Dodge Durangos and cover installation costs for graphics and equipment, while the Public Lands and Facilities Department seeks funding to replace speakers and shade structures damaged during a September 2025 hail storm. In addition to introducing Alexis Dargiewicz as the new planning and zoning administrator, commissioners will vote on tourism grants supporting the annual All Schools Day celebration and review a permit for "Messiah's Mansion," a touring life-sized replica of the Old Testament sanctuary proposed for Wickersham Park in July.

The McPherson Land Bank Board of Trustees is scheduled to meet Tuesday, Jan. 27, to appoint officers and review the organization's 2025 financial standing. The agenda calls for the appointment of James S. Loving as chairperson, alongside Vice Chairperson Larry E. Wiens and Member Gary L. Mehl, effectively setting the leadership for the body, which is comprised of the City Commission but operates as a separate entity established in 2015 to rehabilitate and revitalize distressed local properties. City Administrator Austin Regier is also slated to present updates on the bank’s recent activities and future property development options during the annual meeting.

The McPherson USD 418 Board of Education will meet Monday evening for a work session focused on leadership training, just weeks after seating a new member and ahead of a pivotal bond election. The meeting, scheduled for 6 p.m. on Jan. 26 at the district office, 514 N. Main St., will feature a presentation by representatives from the Kansas Association of School Boards. The session follows the January swearing-in of newly elected board member Blaine Janssen and re-elected incumbents Dr. Lara Vanderhoof and Perry McCabe. The training also comes as the district prepares for a special election on March 3, 2026, when voters will decide on a two-part, $89.5 million bond proposal to renovate McPherson High School and convert Eisenhower Elementary into a middle school.

Brought to you by

Found a mistake? Have a news tip or feedback to share? Contact our newsroom using the button below: