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Board approves detention-pond expansion and gym-floor replacement after June floods; will explore temporary court option
Summary
Following severe June storms that flooded the high-school "roundhouse," the McPherson USD 418 board approved detention-pond expansion and a gym-floor replacement contract and authorized staff to explore a temporary court solution with a private provider. All motions passed 5-0.
The McPherson USD 418 Board of Education on Sept. 15 approved a package of measures to address flood damage at the district—s high-school gym known as the Roundhouse: the board voted 5-0 to seek bids for an expanded detention pond and drainage improvements and to move forward with a gym-floor replacement project, while also authorizing administrators to explore a temporary floor surface from a private vendor to keep athletics and physical-education programs functioning during repairs.
District staff told the board the Roundhouse suffered substantial flooding during two heavy storms on June 17—18. Civil engineers retained by the district recommended increasing detention capacity, cleaning and replacing clogged piping and restoring pump functionality as part of a long-term solution. Staff said the recommended detention-pond expansion would increase storage capacity from just over 16,000 cubic feet to just under 40,000 cubic feet'10approximately a 150 percent increase.
Facilities staff and engineers reported several operational problems discovered during inspections: multiple pumps are installed for redundancy but only two were working at the time of the report, a 15-inch bypass pipe near the weld shop carried substantially reduced flow because of sediment buildup and apparent settlement, and several portions of the site need grading and line replacement to restore designed flow rates.
The board approved a motion to put the detention-pond expansion and drainage work out for bid with explicit bid specifications requiring the successful contractor to provide temporary flood-mitigation arrangements during construction. "It is not uncommon in construction sites for contractors to implement temporary measures to keep water out of certain locations," staff told the board; the board's motion required bidders to include that responsibility in their scope.
On the Roundhouse floor replacement staff briefed the board on two timelines: the contractor Langford Enterprise estimated that, if work began promptly, hardwood installation would start Nov. 1 with an early-December finish. As an alternate approach, the board authorized staff to pursue a temporary court surface with Kingdom Courts, a private supplier, that could be installed earlier (staff estimated early October in preliminary discussions) and might allow volleyball, basketball and some physical-education activity to continue while permanent concrete and hardwood work proceed. Staff emphasized there are several logistical unknowns to resolve before committing to a temporary system, including how to handle recessed-concrete edges, bleacher rolling mechanisms and electrical and media cabling that runs beneath the court surface.
Board discussion touched on whether to proceed immediately with the permanent floor or to install a temporary court to cover winter athletics and postpone the permanent installation until spring. The board approved motions, all by unanimous vote, to:
- move forward with detention-pond enhancements as recommended and prepare bid documents (5-0); - move forward with the gym-floor replacement project with Langford Enterprise, while directing staff to work with the contractor on options to delay installation if a temporary court solution is feasible (5-0); and - authorize administration to contact Kingdom Courts to investigate a temporary floor solution and report back as soon as feasible (5-0).
Administrators said they will produce bid documents within one to two weeks for the detention-pond work and will prioritize pump repairs and pipe clearing in near-term troubleshooting. Staff also reported they have contacted electrical contractors and Langford to gather quotes for the under-floor electrical work that must be recreated after water damage.
What to expect next: staff will post the detention-pond bid package, seek contractors (including cooperatives or prequalified co-ops if appropriate), and return to the board with findings on whether a temporary court installation is logistically viable and cost-effective.
