Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

City Council Approves Clean-Up Contract

Terry Don McKinnon was awarded the contract to clean up the debris in the Prescott City Limits from the Christmas Day ice storm.

This decision was made at a special called meeting of the Prescott City Council, Tuesday, Jan. 30.

The council received three bids or the clean up work, all in lump-sum amounts, instead of on a per-yard basis as Nevada County did.

Hobby's Five Oaks, of Henderson, Ken., had the highest bid at $712,300, while D&J, of Bristol, Tenn., turned in a bid of $450,000.

McKinnon's bid was $375,000. He was the only one of the bidders at the meeting, and assured the council he could get the job done by the Feb. 27 deadline set by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Prescott Mayor Howard Taylor said FEMA suggested whoever the city contract with make one pass, cleaning up everything at this time, then going back a week later and making a final run, as some people won't have their debris ready the first time.

Then, he said, a third and final pass is to be made the week of Feb. 20, to make sure everything has been picked up.

However, the contractor cannot go on private property and pick up any debris. The property owner must have it on the city's right of way, for it to be removed.

The contract also calls for McKinnon to trim all hanging limbs on city property.

Taylor said McKinnon has $1 million in liability insurance.

"If I get the job, I'll have the people," McKinnon said. "I don't own the equipment we'll be working with, but I have people and equipment to get it done."

McKinnon told the council he's been a logger all of his adult life and has a lot of friends in the industry who aren't working right now. Most of those hired would be local residents.

The clean up actually began Friday, Feb. 2, with McKinnon and his crew doing test work to see how much they can do in a three day span to see if more men and equipment are needed.

The debris removed from the right of way will be taken to Hines where it will be chipped up.

Taylor said McKinnon has worked out the tipping fee and billing process with Billy Hines.

McKinnon figured his bid on an hourly basis, not by the cubic yard as the contractor for the county did.

"We'll get the city cleaned up before we start the second pass," he said. "We've got to cover the city three times regardless."

He asked the council for barricades on some of the side streets so the crew can work without interfering with traffic, or possibly presenting a hazard.

Taylor said they could use some of the city's flourescent "Men Working" signs, moving them as needed.

McKinnon said any damage done by his crew would be covered under his insurance.

The problem, he said, will be picking up the debris stacked directly under power lines. The loader will have to stretch its boom long and low to pick it up without hitting the lines.

The council approved contracting McKinnon to do the job for $375,000.

The second order of business on the agenda was to help the Senior Adult Center.

Center Director Irma Sue Purtle said the center has $58,963 left, but needed about $71,000 to finish construction on the new building.

City accountant Carl Dalrymple said the only place the council could take the money from would be the sales tax carryover fund.

Taylor said this would complete the building, making it ready for occupancy, with the exception of the dirt work for the parking lot, and the center is trying to get the county to do this.

The soil problem cost $39,000 more than expected, he said, which put the project over budget.

The architect of the project also kept an eye on the budget, Taylor said, but it still came up about $71,000 short.The only work the city did was removing some trees and some ditch work so the water would run off properly.

Purtle said the center raised a total of $115,000 in fund raisers and plans to do more once they've moved into the new facility. The only fundraiser planned is a Sunday luncheon, with no date set for it.

The only new equipment purchased for the center was a convection oven and a microwave oven. Otherwise, equipment will be moved from the current center to the new one.

The council approved giving the center $71,000 to finish the new building.