Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Court approves emergency budget; water system is closer to reality

While it was nothing more than a formality, it was an important one.

The Nevada County Quorum Court, in its regular monthly meeting, Monday, April 14, approved a budget for Nevada County Emergency Management Director Jim Cross.

Passing the budget was a formality because the county did not contribute to it, as the funding came from the federal government. The money will be used to purchase equipment and update the county's emergency management plan.

The federal government, Cross said, wants all emergency plans completely redone to include provisions for hazardous materials and terrorism.

Nevada County, Cross said, received $7,950.85 as its part. The equipment to be purchased will be a new computer system, which will be used to update the plan and print copies off. In addition, copies of the plan will be burned onto compact discs and given to emergency agencies in the county. Part of the money will also be used to pay clerical help to get the plan typed up.

Cross said he must have the plan in both hard copy and on CD, as this is a requirement by the federal government.

The current emergency plan for the county is 347 pages long, he said, and will be even larger with the new additions.

Another required purchase will be a global positioning device, more commonly known as a GPS.

The budget will be received in three payments, with the first and last being 25 percent each, and the second payment 50 percent.

"This is supposed to be the bible for emergency situations," Cross said. "It will show the protocol on what to do in any emergency."

The court approved the budget.

Jon Chadwell, executive director of the Prescott-Nevada County Economic Development Office, said he has sent letters to the various fire departments in the county concerning grants available through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

The grants, he said, are 80-20 match, and the applicants must show proof of having the 20 percent in the bank.

Those departments wanting to apply had to do so on-line, and, Chadwell said, the Prescott Fire Department, Bluff City Volunteer Fire Department and Bodcaw VFD applied.

Officials with the various departments were invited to come to the Partnership where Chadwell would help them with the application.

If approved, he said, Prescott plans on purchasing comprehensive training materials. These materials will be shared with other departments in the county, after they're bought.

Turning to the rural water project, Chadwell said meetings have been held trying to finalize the easements.

"There's not many left," he said, "and we're trying to get a commitment from the state on when we can advertise for bids."

Once the project is advertised for bids it will be 45 days afterwards before the bid can be let.

The City of Prescott, he added, must pass a rate ordinance to set the initial cost of water.

However, this rate will be based on two factors, the first is going on the assumption all of the money available will be borrowed, with the other being the number of people who have actually signed up.

But, Chadwell said, the first rate will not be the final one, most likely, as all the money available won't have to be borrowed, and once construction starts, people traditionally sign up.

"When the ordinance is first passed," he said, "it will be higher than people expect. It will be lower when the project's finished."

Currently, he said, the average bill would be $38 or $39 a month, based on the 382 customers out of a potential 600.

Once the project is completed, the rates will be refigured and a final rate established.

The sooner people come in and sign up, the better, Chadwell said, as they can sign up at the lower rate until construction begins.

A lot of dirt work has been done in the Prescott Industrial Park, he said, on the new company, Prescott Rubber, Inc.

The plant is due to open on Oct. 6, he said, but the owners are hoping to have everything in place and begin operation before this date.

The court also discussed the Nevada County Jail budget.

Justice of the Peace Gary Lewis said the medical budget is almost gone and this is only the fourth month of the year.

The court budgeted $2,000 for medical expenses for the jail, and $1,041 has been spent.

Nevada County Judge James Roy Brown appointed a committee to look into the situation. The committee includes Lewis, Curtis Lee Johnson and Willie Wilson.

JP Arval Mason said it looks like the comp time situation is getting out of hand again, and asked about comp time for other departments.

Brown said other departments pay overtime, and don't have comp time. He added the county needs to change its personnel policy to prevent people from carrying vacation time over as the county isn't allowed to carry debt over from one year to the next.