Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Flooding hampers Gurdon street work

"We had a bad flood," was Gurdon Street Department Manager Jimmy Caldwell's answer to Gurdon Mayor Clayton Franklin's request, "Give us a report on the rain Jimmy." at Gurdon's June meeting of the city council.

Caldwell said, "I rode around with a government man today. We could be getting 25 percent to 75 percent of money help for flood damage."

Franklin said Jim Burns, with the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management (ADEM), had given him some papers to send to the state to possible receive 35 percent help for damages.

Franklin said, "It will be a lot of paperwork."

Franklin further explained why FEMA would not be assisting with the recent flood damage.

"FEMA has to declare an area a disaster before they give monies. The area has to be wide spread before they will consider it. The ice storm was widespread, therefore we received help from FEMA. The flooding was mainly in our area," said Franklin.

Some of the city's water department equipment was affected by the flood waters. Water manager Ben Williams estimated this damage to be around $5,000.

Caldwell estimated the total street damage to be around $12,000. This was total of $27,000 within the city.

Franklin said, "We are pursuing all avenues."

Williams reported all of Gurdon's water system to be working fine. He also said he had been helping out with the Gum Springs water system since it does not have a certified person working there now.

The cemetery committee is still talking about building a fence along the backside of the Rose Hedge Cemetery. The committee recently received a grant to replace some of the front and side fences to the cemetery.

Franklin asked "Teet" Newton if any money was left over from the grant. "Yes, we had about $1,000 left," said Newton.

"Well there is about $7,000 in the cemetery account right now and we are almost through with the mowing season, so you use $1,000 and some out of the account and build your fence," said Franklin.

"We may have a citizen who is going to help us also," said Newton.

Rubber has been placed under the playground equipment at the Gurdon Park. The rubber stripping was placed to help protect children if they fall off of the equipment.

Carroll Martin said it would be nice to have someone living at the City Park to help keep the vandalism down.

"We've had a few problems out there with people destroying stuff," he said.

Franklin said the U.S. Department of Labor is making a list of Gurdon employees being owed overtime.

Franklin said the city paid the employees.

"This system has been in place since the 70's. According to laws we owed some of our people some more money," said Franklin.

"The way overtime pay is taken care of has been the same since I have been here for 17 years. I have inherited my overtime hours, unlike it was stated in "one" of the newspapers, not the Gurdon Times. I want that off of me," City Marshall Don Childres told the audience.

Gurdon Police Officers have been working with the city to make a list of lots with abandoned vehicles on them. So far the list consists of 13 different addresses. Franklin has compiled and sent letters to each address letting them know of the ordinance concerning abandoned vehicles and informing them of the $500 fine if the vehicles aren't removed.

Franklin requested the addresses be published in the paper. They are:

1007 South 6th St.; 909 East Main St.; 906 East Crayton St.; 900 Pine St.; 310 Joslyn St.; 408 South 3rd St.; 704 Smith St.; 905 Beech St.; 606 South 3rd St.; 113 Cherry St.; 207 Beech St.; 303 Childres St.; and 205 Pine St.