Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Emmet Dips Into Funds For Clean-Up

Emmet's City Council had to reach into the city's general fund to finish paying for the cleanup from the December ice storms.

Meeting in special session Wednesday, April 25, the council appropriated $35,000 to complete the payments for work done.

Originally, the council had allotted $25,000 for the work, then returned to add another $20,000, as the cleanup was more extensive than first thought.

Overall, Emmet Mayor Dale Booker said, the city will pay out about $80,000 for debris removal, and other storm related cleanup work.

The original estimate for cleanup work, he said, was $86,000, with this being the amount submitted to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in January.

Booker said the city got $14,000 back from work on the water system and well. This money was transferred to the street department, with another $16,000 moved from the city's general fund, giving a total of $30,000 to the street department. These funds will be used to make major repairs on the streets, along with new construction.

Some of the street work will be to improve Second from Main to Elm, he said, and Elm from First to Second. This will give trucks going to the mercantile more room to maneuver and get in and out of the mill.

The city is also applying for a portion of the $100 million in federal grant money for the Emmet Volunteer Fire Department.

Booker said the idea is to use the grant money, if the city gets any, to build a second fire station across the railroad tracks and put a firetruck in it.

The city is also working on a grant through the Arkansas State Transportation and Highway Department to build a walking track in the park, along with making other repairs to the park.

We're hoping for an 80-20 match," Booker said, "so we can use in-kind labor and equipment for our part."

The council also approved $300 for the Nevada County Weather Center in Prescott.

The center is manned by volunteers, with most members of the EFD being trained weather spotters. These volunteers watch the skies and report funnel clouds in times of severe weather.

Whoever is at the center at the time, calls the National Weather Service in Shreveport, La., and a watch or warning is issued.

The center is funded through donations from cities in Nevada County.

The council recognized work done by Johnny Clary and Juan Aprecia during the cleanup since Christmas Day, 2000. Aprecia, a city employee, was given a week off, while Clary returned to his own business.

Booker said the water and sewer is in place at the city's trailer park, with all the meters and lines in, with the exception of meter pedestals for electricity.

There is no phone service in place yet, but once trailers began moving in, it should be no problem getting telephones hooked up, he said.

At this time, there are spaces for seven trailers, with room to put in 10 more later on.