Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Updates Given On County Clean-Up

Members of the Nevada County Quorum Court heard updates on debris clean-up and from the economic office during its regular meeting Monday, February 12.

D&J Enterprises got the contract to clean-up Nevada County following the Christmas winter storms.

Jimmy Starr of D&J told JPs his company had hauled more than 80,000 cubit yards off to date, which amounts to about 200 loads daily.

Starr told the group 30 crews were working through the county and they had been able to hire about 75 workers from the county. This is about 60 percent of their force.

More than 60 trucks have been utilized to haul the debris, though Starr said this number will fall off once the work load begins to dwindle.

Starr reported that 75 percent of the items picked up was material already on the rights-of-way.

He said his crews were removing trees in the right-of-way that were leaning over power lines and/or county roads that could possibly cause problems in the future.

Bucket trucks are slowly following clean-up crews to remove broken tree tops (widow-makers) that are still clinging to the trees.

Starr said he was confident that they would complete inside of the FEMA deadlines. They have been working since January 26.

Jon Chadwell, executive director of the Prescott-Nevada County Economic Development Office (EDO) reported to JPs a second active prospect was to have looked at the former Nevada County Hospital building on Monday, February 19.

Chadwell said what is slowing prospects on the building are renovation costs which could be from $600,000 to $1 million.

In addition, Chadwell stated that how to lease the building is still be studied.

He reminded JPs that Arkansas law requires the building be purchased for three-fourths of its appraised value, which would put the sale of the building at about $300,000 now.

Chadwell told the group that if the county leased the facility and the industry remodeled the buildings to suit their particular style of work, the building would probably reappraise at a higher rate.

It has been hoped the county could lease the building with future options to purchase the building at a later date.

Other prospects for the area are continuing, according to Chadwell.

He reported the restoration on the Prescott Railroad Depot, which now houses the Depot Museum, would begin soon. A $200,000 grant has been awarded to the museum. The city of Prescott donated $42,000 in matching funds.

JPs heard from Betty Miller concerning a dog problem in rural areas of the county.

Miller told the JPs she realized the county didn't have funds to enact or enforce any type of laws on domesticated animals at this, but hoped they could in the future.

She told the group of the problems that she faced with neighbor's dogs as well as strays.

JPs also were approached by Nevada County Sheriff Steve Otwell and a representative from Fuelman.

Fuelman is a credit card system that allow entities to purchase gasoline, oil and vehicle related items from authorized agents.

Otwell informed JPs the sheriff's office currently uses Shell credit cards and purchases the bulk of their fuel from Prescott Shell Superstop.

He reminded the group that his office originally had an agreement with the station and its fuel supplier to purchase gas at three cents over delivered cost.

Otwell said that with the price fluctuation of gasoline in the past few months that agreement was no longer valid and they were purchasing the gas at pump price.

Fuelman will allow the sheriff's office to purchase his fuel at eight cents over delivered cost less federal gas taxes which are not applicable.

Locally, Otwell said Shell and Love's Travel Center honor the Fuelman cards.

The price of gas through Fuelman on February 8 was $1.219 per gallon. Over 500 stations across Arkansas accept the Fuelman card.

Nevada County Judge James Roy Brown appointed a committee made up of JPs Bob Cummings, Willie Wilson and Arval Mason to look into the Fuelman card.

The same committee will also review the county's personnel policy plan and see about overtime in Otwell's office (see related story).