Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Property Title Slowing Fire Station In Rosston

Rosston still doesn't have the title to the land it's buying to build a new fire station on.

Rosston Mayor Lewis Jackson, during the regular monthly meeting of the Rosston City Council, Thursday, July 6, said the title insurance is back, and there is a loan out against the property in question.

The city, he told the council, will have to cut two checks to make the purchase  one to the bank to pay off the loan and the other to owners.

Once the city gets possession of the land, the owners will be given 30-days notice to remove a trailer there now.

Jackson told the panel the Rosston Fire Department has said its members can build the new fire station for about $16,000. This price, though, doesn't include air conditioning.

Rosston Fire Chief Johnny Jenson said the building would be 42 feet wide and 64 feet long, with a 42 by 40 foot fire station, along with a 42 by 24 foot spare room the city can use as it chooses.

This building, Jenson told the council, would be fully complete, with the exception of being air conditioned and having the concrete work finished out. The $16,000 cost, he said, was figured high.

Jackson said Jenson got retail prices from a lumber company, but thinks he can get some wood donated.

He told the council the Rosston VFD helped fight a fire at Potlatch and the company may be willing to donate some 2 by 4 or 2 by 6 lumber for framing.

The current fire station and City Hall could be sold to the Rosston Water Department. Then, he said, offices could be built for the mayor, water manager and city clerk.

The add-on to the fire station could then be used as a community center with the council setting usage fees as needed. It would also be used for elections and council meetings.

Jackson said a concrete finisher could be paid to get the slab ready so the framing and tin could then be added on.

The council debated on whether or not to hire someone to put the tin on the frame, but decided volunteers from the area could do the job.

Councilman Edna Kelly, though, suggested the city let bids on the project to see what it would cost to build the fire station in this manner.

David Budd, the newest member of the panel, had checked on prices from contractors earlier and said the best price he could find was $24,000 and it wouldn't be as good a building as one done by the VFD volunteers.

The contracted building, Budd said, would only have one roll-up door, where the volunteers could build one with three doors.

Jackson agreed, saying the volunteers could put the building up in a couple of days, once the slab is ready.

The city had problems with lightning during June, as a bolt made a direct hit on a fuse box at the well house, destroying it completely.

It cost $3,000 to replace the fuse box, Jackson said, and the city's insurance company hasn't reimbursed the city yet. When it does, Rosston will get a check for $2,750 as there is a $250 deductible on the policy.

Jackson was given the green light to purchase the computer of his choice for the city. He said in checking prices, the ones found capable of doing what the city needed cost $1,600 or $1,700.

The system to be purchased must have two printer ports so it can be hooked to two printers simultaneously. It must also have a Quicken program for record keeping.

The current computer system will go to the water department as manager J.D. Luck has his data on it already.