McPherson County adopts One-and-Six-Year Road Plan and adds multiple road maintenance requests

On Feb. 14, 2018 Highway Superintendent Tom Werblow presented the county’s One & Six Year Road Plan at a public hearing with no patrons in attendance; the board adopted RESOLUTION #2018-7 accepting the plan. The board continued to consider road maintenance requests each month, added multiple citizen requests to monthly road plans, and approved ongoing roadwork and resource allocation for graveling, autogates and armor coating where budgets allowed.

Throughout 2018 the Board received and placed on road plans requests from landowners (including requests from Angie Stickney, Steve Barger, Don Moore and others) for building up and gravelling access roads, installing or replacing autogates, and filling water holes. The board coordinated these requests with Road Worker Ed Black and Highway Superintendent Werblow and prioritized items subject to budget constraints.

The board also reviewed road department equipment and shop needs during the year. It approved purchases and repairs tied to operations (including grader and truck payments funded from the McPherson County Inheritance Tax Fund) and discussed radio-repeater site options and a proposed outdoor siren project with an estimated county share of approximately $2,500. Safety committee trainings for road staff on fatigue, hand and finger safety, chain saw safety, chocking/blocking and other topics were held and documented across several meetings.

The board's road- and equipment-related decisions were taken by motion with unanimous or majority votes and appear in monthly minutes alongside claims and vendor payments for rock, gravel and equipment repairs.