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McPherson County commissioners appoint chair, approve routine business and hear Wyndham Tower update
Summary
At a regular meeting, the McPherson County Board of Commissioners named Keith Becker chair and David O'Dell vice chair, approved minutes, payroll and claims, confirmed a Public Works probation appointment and received an update that the Wyndham Tower final approval was expected Jan. 17 with a roughly six-week build timeline.
The McPherson County Board of Commissioners on Jan. 13 reorganized leadership, approved routine minutes and payments, confirmed a Public Works personnel action and heard an update on the Wyndham communications tower project.
The board voted to appoint Keith Becker as chair and David O'Dell as vice chair. The commissioners approved the meeting agenda and approved minutes dated Dec. 23, 2024, and Jan. 8, 2025. The board also approved payroll, checks and claims and delegated authority for the chairman to sign accounts payable and payroll documents while the board is away next week.
Why it matters: the appointments set the board’s leadership for the term, the claims and payroll approvals keep county departments operating, and the tower project would change how emergency paging reaches local fire and emergency services in McPherson County.
The commission confirmed the end of introductory probation for Public Works mechanic Kevin Harvey effective Jan. 19 after a motion to approve his personnel change notice (PCN). Mike Evans of the Public Works Department told commissioners that Harvey attended Salina Area Technical School for automotive training and has been gaining experience on heavy trucks and hydraulic systems while working on the job.
Sheriff’s office remarks: A county law-enforcement representative, identified in the meeting as Jerry, reported current inmate counts and recent calls. "Current inmate count is at 45. Current number of males is 38. Current number of females is 7," Jerry told the board, and he said 42 inmates were being held for district court and three were being held for municipal court. He also said there had been an increase in vehicle slide-offs during the cold period.
Wyndham Tower update: County staff and a tower company representative reported that two of three regulatory approvals were in and the tower company expected the final approval to arrive on Jan. 17. "They said maybe 6 weeks to get it all up and running," the company representative said. County staff described the tower site as a 60-by-60-foot fenced compound sited near the law enforcement center, with fenced guy wires; the paging antennas will sit on an approximately 300-foot tower and move paging to the P25 800 MHz system. Project staff said that once all towers are active, paging will be broadcast from all towers rather than from a single VHF transmitter, which should improve coverage between communities such as Canton, Moundridge and Marquette.
Adjacent building and sidewalk: A representative identified as Matt said the county will secure a nearby building and erect temporary fencing around the property as work begins. Matt said the south sidewalk should remain usable during the work; he did not have details about the west sidewalk and deferred to city permitting conversations.
Hiring and interviews: The commissioners held several executive-session interviews for non-elected personnel, including an interview with an applicant for the appraiser’s office identified as Stacy Hubbard and interviews for emergency management/9-1-1 communications candidates. The meeting record shows the board recessed into executive session multiple times to discuss those applicants; no hiring decisions were announced in open session.
Ending: Commissioners recessed at the close of business for a Public Works work session and discussed upcoming calendar items, including attendance at the Kansas Association of Counties meetings in Topeka. No further substantive policy actions were taken in open session.
Votes at a glance - Approve agenda — motion carried (unanimous). - Appoint Keith Becker as chair — motion carried (unanimous). - Appoint David O'Dell as vice chair — motion carried (unanimous). - Approve minutes dated 12/23/2024 — motion carried (unanimous). - Approve minutes dated 01/08/2025 — motion carried (unanimous). - Approve end of introductory probation/PCN for Kevin Harvey (effective Jan. 19) — motion carried (unanimous). - Approve abates presented — motion carried (unanimous). - Approve checks and claims (including previous payroll) — motion carried (unanimous). - Delegate chairman authority to sign accounts payable/payroll while board is away — motion carried (unanimous). - Enter executive session(s) to discuss non-elected personnel and interviews — motion(s) carried (unanimous). - Recess to Public Works for a work session — motion carried (unanimous).
