City Commission Recap Dec. 30
The McPherson City Commission met Monday morning for regular session and here is what you need to know:
MIDC
Hutchinson Clinic conducted annual physicals for the McPherson Fire Department. These physicals are a requirement from OSHA and must be completed annually. The cost was $13,381.60.
Public Lands and Facilities
From Dec. 25 to Jan. 15, people will be able to drop off real Christmas trees in a designated area of the McPherson Water Park parking lot at Lakeside Park. The trees will be chipped every Friday. Free mulch can be taken from piles in the southeast corner of the McPherson Water Park parking lot.
Trees taken to the lot must be clear of all decorations and plastic bags before placing in the bin.
For more information about the Christmas tree disposal, contact the Park Department at 620-245-2565.
Planning and Zoning
The owners of 1109 Heritage Drive and 1110 Willow Springs Court requested a vacation of the 20-foot pedestrian access easement located on Block 1, Lots 4 and 5, Turnberry Addition. Proper notification was given and the Planning Commission heard the case at its regular meeting on Dec. 3. The protest period has expired. So the request was approved.
McPherson Board of Public Utilities relocated all water lines in accordance with the original plans for the Grimes/Anna Street project. After work started on the project, a plan change had to be added at the intersection of Anna and Myers Streets, which required the water line to be re-located a second time. The cost was $2,908.56 to complete the work.
The air handling unit in the headworks would lock itself out due to a defective burner controller at the Waste Water Treatment Plant. The make up air handling unit changes air in the building every five minutes. Changing the air out provides a safe working environment for workers inside the building by expelling dangerous gases from raw sewage. Public Works paid Heaven Engineering out of Wichita to complete the repairs, because they are the Temprite service firm for this area. The cost was $2,115.56.
During the pavement removal of phase II of the Plaza East Place Construction Project, it was discovered that the service line at Sta. 15+80 was too shallow to complete the road work. Service lines are not located or mapped and make it impossible to know if they will interfere with construction during the design phase. Vogts-Parga relocated the water service line for $1,200. In addition, after installing the pipe across the west end of Plaza East Place, it was discovered there was not enough cover over the pipe. The design engineer raised Center Line grades for the first 200′ of the west end. Raising the grade required raising inlet No. 6. With the grade changes the contractor had to revise the surveying model. Vogts-Parga completed the work for $2,450. However, Earles Engineering will be billed.
This last week, concrete was placed for sidewalk on Anna Street from the west side of Wheeler Street to the east side of Grimes Street, and for driveways and the alley on the north side of Anna Street from Wheeler Street to Grimes Street for the Grimes/Anna Street Reconstruction Project. Concrete joints were sealed on Anna Street from North High Drive to Wheeler Street, and dirt grading was done on Grimes Street from Anna Street to 1st Street. Anna Street remains closed from North High Drive to Grimes Street. Grimes Street is closed from 1st Street to Loomis Street, with Loomis Street open to traffic.
No work was accomplished on on the Hartup-Elizabeth Street Reconstruction Project again last week. The contractor is holding off on any further removals at this time due to the potential of upcoming seasonal weather. They want to make sure they can cover all the removals they have in the city before the weather turns too cold. Hartup Street (Avenue A to Hancock Street) is closed to through-traffic, with local access from both Avenue A and Hancock Street. Local traffic can also access Hartup Street from Seitz Street. Through-traffic on Hartup Street is detoured onto Park Street.
The intersection of Hulse and North High Drive is now open on the Hulse Area Drainage Project. The intersection will have to be closed down a second time in order to widen the joints and seal when the weather is more favorable. We will also close the southbound lane of North High Drive and the westbound lane of Hulse Street during normal working hours to stage for the retaining wall construction. These lanes will be opened by the end of the day. Block was added to the wall along the drainage ditch north of the Dillons parking lot and concrete sidewalk was placed across the drainage box at Myers Street north of Hulse Street. Concrete was placed for an access point at the drainage ditch at the apartment complex parking lot east of Tractor Supply.
Work continues on the final grading and installation of the storm sewer, on the Plaza East Place Street Construction Project. One third of the rock base was placed on the west side of Plaza East Place. The intersection of Plaza East Drive (formally a private drive) and Champlin Street is closed.
Budget
Johnette Shepek, City Treasurer/Finance Director, reviewed the 2019 Amended McPherson City Budget. A public hearing was held. Here is the approved 2019 Budget.
Annual Contracts
The commission approved the following annual contracts, links to the contracts themselves are provided:
McPherson Hospital/City of McPherson EMS Contract
McPherson Township Fire District Contract
New Gottland Fire District Contract
King City Fire District Contract
McPherson Water Park Operating Agreement
Municipal Center Janitorial Contract
The city of McPherson received updates on some of the unknown insurance options. The commission approved to bind coverage for the proposed 2020 Property/Liability/Casualty coverage. Based upon changes, they expect the increases to be just above a 10% increase from 2019.
With the finalization of the Eagles Wings Unit 2, Phase 1 and 2 Paving and Sanitary Sewer project, the City of McPherson, Capital Improvement fund owes the developers a refund for the 50% of the project costs which includes design, construction, and inspection costs as agreed upon in the Developer’s Agreement for these projects. Attached you will find the detail behind the refund owed to Disability Supports and Mark Houghton, but below is a summary:
