Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Business as usual for city council

All city bills and budgets were approved as the council quickly moved on with the necessary business.

Gurdon Mayor Clayton Franklin told council members the annual budget did not have to be in place until February 1, therefore they would have a special meeting to discuss the budget and pass it.

"Tambra has been working on the budget. She is doing a great job," said Franklin.

Gurdon's Police Department recently applied for a $5,000 grant to help pay overtime and other items to make the department run smoothly.

Roy Rickett's with the Airport Commission was on hand to give a report. "We are doing all right. We still have money in the bank and we plan on applying for a grant once we get figures in to see how much it would cost to build eight more hangers. I have been approached by a few people who were wanting to rent hanger space. I have been told there are no empty hangers between here and Little Rock. We are estimating it to cost around $160,000 with 75/25 matching funds coming from the state and an individual putting up 10 percent."

Gurdon's park will hopefully be seeing some necessary improvements soon.

However, Carroll Martin, who is in charge of the park explained, "it is kind of slow right now with the cold weather. We have a few that are fishing."

Martin hopes to receive three grants to help with renovations. He said he would like to place a jogging trail across the dike and a fishing bridge over the edge of the lake. Plans have been in the works for some time to purchase new playground equipment.

"I have Mrs. Wimberly working on my grant information for me," said Martin.

Animal control numbers are down from what they were in the past.

"We don't have them all, but we are working on it," said Martin who is also the animal control officer.

"Well, not all of them in our neighborhood have been caught. I run them off all the time. I can name you three regulars right now," said Shirley Francis.

"You need to call the city hall as soon as you see those dogs so Carroll can get out there to get them," said Franklin.

"She has called, but by the time I get there, they are gone," said Martin.

Jake McBride, Gurdon Volunteer Fire Department fire chief, said he was still working with the ISO to get Gurdon residence a better fire rating.

"I am sending a man to ISO training school on the 7th of February," said McBride.

"I have been meaning to discuss with you the flushing out of the fire hydrants around town. We all know how the water can smell sometimes. I have been told by the state, Gurdon has some of the best water around, it just tends to get smelly sitting in the pipes.

"I thought maybe on Monday nights during fire meetings you could pair guys up in twos and they could each do two hydrants. In a month all the lines would be cleared. If we keep this process up maybe we can solve our problem," said Franklin.

"We can do that, it isn't a problem," said McBride.

Jimmy Caldwell with the street department said it had been kind of slow except for the usual stuff.

"We have torn down two more houses. I hope we can do more soon," said Caldwell.