Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Council considers eliminating non-existent street

Gurdon's City Council met for the first time since June 16, 2003.

Due to illness of the Recorder/Treasurer the meeting was postponed and last month the mayor was in the hospital due to appendicitis.

Gurdon Mayor Clayton Franklin reported all departments being at or on budget during the month of June.

However, some of them were over during July. He reported the police department being around $10,000 over budget.

The mayor blames most of the overages on health insurance doubling.

"The street department is over also due to the insurance figure," said Franklin, "We will have budget meetings this month to try and get everyone back on track."

June began a new fiscal year for the Gurdon Water and Sewer Department.

The department ended the year with a figure of around $100,000 in profit. Franklin said the department had around $35,000 in the capitol improvement fund it may or may not use at this time.

Franklin said some equipment could be purchased. He said it is the water/sewer department and the street department share equipment so any purchases would be well used and benefit both departments.

All city financial reports and payment of bills were approved by the council.

City Marshall Don Childres reporting having four Gurdon Police officers recently attending and finishing 121 hours of classes to become certified. Those officers were; Jay Smithpeters, Chris Russell, Tony Pruitt and Nick Calley.

Childres also reported Gurdon officer Andy Williams finishing at the police academy for Criminal Investigation.

"We are getting our officers more qualified and certified. We are proud of them," said Childres.

Fire Chief Jake McBride reported little to no fires reported recently.

"Everything is going good. A few of my trucks are getting old, I am trying to figure out a way to get a new one," he said.

Jimmy Caldwell with the Gurdon Street Department reported the usual summer work of patching, mowing and cleaning up.

"We are working on getting our fence put up around our shop right now at this time," said Caldwell.

"Teet" Newton, with the Rose Hedge Cemetery Committee reported receiving $1,000 from Paul Barringer and $1,000 from Austin Capps, to go towards the fence fund. The cemetery had recently received a grant from the Cabe Foundation to do some repairs. The committee had $1,000 left from the grant which they placed with the $2,000 donated making a grand total of $3,000 to build a fence along the backside of the cemetery.

Newton expressed his concern as to whether this would be enough money to finish the project. The mayor expressed his confidence that it would be.

"It would be nice if the city would give us a little money to keep us going," said Newton.

"The cemetery funds are fine at this time. I am afraid you get the cemetery money and the city money confused Mr. Newton. It's all the same money it's just in different accounts. All monies held in city committee and commission accounts is city money it just goes specifically to those projects," said Franklin.

Newton then sat down as he answered, "Well, I don't think it's going to make it."

Carroll Martin reported the park running smoothly with no recent problems.

He also reported the animal control running fine. Council member Rev. Ronald Scott reported having to call the department to have a dog removed from his property.

"I was impressed with how quickly Martin responded and handled the problem," said Scott.

Councilman Danny Paull had requested to speak to the council on closing a street and an alley in Gurdon. Paull said both were platted on the city map, but had never been built.

"The street is called Bell Street. I don't think it will ever be made since it runs directly through Benegene Cottingham's house. The alley runs trough the First Assembly of God parking lot and through two houses," said Paull.

Franklin said he had no problem with it, except he wasn't sure of the procedures to do such an act.

The council agreed and made a motion to find out what procedures were so they could discuss it at next month's meeting.

Council member Sally Tarpley asked if the city had an ordinance about permanent trash boxes being placed within city limits. The mayor said he believed there was one stating that no permanent receptacles were to be placed on properties, but he would look into it and let her know.