Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Work begins on water project

Work on the rural water project is underway, and residents in the area wanting to sign up can do so until Oct. 30.

This was the information given to the Nevada County Quorum Court at its regular monthly meeting, Monday, Sept. 8, by Jon Chadwell, executive director of the Prescott-Nevada County Economic Development Office.

Until Oct. 30, Chadwell said, people can sign up for the $180 price, but after this date it will cost more to get hooked into the water line. However, for low income families, the price to get connected is $50.

After Oct. 30, it will cost $400 to get a meter, along with the expense of having the contractor come back to hook it up. Should any boring have to be done, the homeowner will have to bear the cost of it as well. Chadwell said it could run $1,500 or more to get connected into the project once the deadline passes.

When the project first began, it was determined the area with the most people signed up would be where work would begin. Chadwell said the Midway community was first on the list, followed by Pleasant Hill and Redland north of Highway 24.

Residents can get meters installed, but not have them hooked up, Chadwell said. However, they would have to pay a minimum water bill anyway, as the cost of the project is based on the number of customers. These meters, though, could be hooked up at a later date.

When questioned about changing the size of the pipe, Chadwell said it can be done, but will cost more. The larger the pipe, the more water will run through it and the higher the bill will be as customers are charged for each 1,000 gallons used.

Some, he said, have expressed concerns about having too much water pressure, but this problem will be addressed and resolved during construction.

The contractor, Chadwell said, will try to knock on doors to let people know crews will be working in the area before they lay pipe.

Other projects are also getting underway, he said, including the downtown sidewalk renovation. Work should also begin on it soon, and will include the sidewalk around the Nevada County Courthouse, as it's in need of repair.

The sidewalk project will include improving the drainage at Second and Elm streets. Additionally, he said, the sidewalks will be handicap accessible.

The Partnership, he said, has applied for a grant to upgrade the jogging trail by the Nevada County Health Unit on Highway 67. Chadwell said he has been told it looks good for this grant to be approved.

Plans call for the track to be well lighted so it can be used at night. Should the grant be approved, he said, the county will be approached to enter into an interlocal agreement for the 80-20 match. The city, though, must agree to maintain the track.

Chadwell said the building for Prescott Rubber, Inc., is coming along well and the construction should be done on schedule. Once the building is ready it will take 30-45 days for it to become fully operational as the owners will have to install and test their equipment before hiring.

"They expect to be ready to start hiring in mid-December," Chadwell said.

The year is winding down for the third leadership class, he said, and applications are being taken for the 2004 session.

The deadline for applying for Leadership Nevada County is Oct. 15. Chadwell said the idea is to make the classes as diverse as possible, but there are few minority residents applying, and the south part of the county could use more representation in the program.

Questions were also raised about the old Nevada County Hospital and what should be done with it.

Chadwell said the building's foundation is solid, probably one of the more solid ones in the county, but a lot of cosmetic work needs to be done.

There was talk of trying to sell the building for 75 percent of its appraised value, which is possible under the law.

Nevada County Judge James Roy Brown, though, pointed out there is a law where the building could be sold as surplus property to the highest bidder at auction.

Chadwell said several people have looked at the facility, but didn't want to pay the 75 percent price tag.

In discussing the possibility of selling the building at auction, it was determined the county would have to set a minimum acceptable price and reserve the right to reject any and all bids.