Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Council ponders rail car possibilities

Questions were raised about a rail car for the Depot Museum at the Prescott City Council.

The car is at Potlatch and would have to be moved to the museum site.

Jon Chadwell, executive director of the Prescott-Nevada County Economic Development Office, said there are two issues involved before the car can be utilized. First, it's covered in lead paint, and, second, Potlatch doesn't want the renovations done on its property.

According to Chadwell, the car needs to be moved somewhere and covered until the renovations can be done to keep it from deteriorating.

Prescott Mayor Howard Taylor said the city would have to get a large wrecker to move the car.

In keeping with the rail theme, Chadwell said there has been a lot of talk in town about trains blowing their whistles. There are two threat levels involved, he told the council, one being national and the other a risk level.

If the city followed the risk level, concrete barriers could be put up along First Street, which would make it a One Way street. This option would cost about $85,000.

Taking the national risk option would require closing all but two crossings, with four quadrant gates installed with approved signals. However, this would cost $285,000.

The problem, he said, is it's hard to find an option to make reducing the train noise feasible for everyone involved.

In other business, the Council adopted an ordinance to keep the 5 mill tax for real and personal property on the books another year. This is not a new tax, but one the Council has the option of renewing annually in September.

The tax is assessed by the Nevada County Tax Assessor and handled in the same manner as the county property taxes  except the money generated goes to the city.

James Cornelius, a councilman and member of the Nevada County Library Board, said the Board worked up a budget for $58,000. The county will be putting in $21,000, with the city needing to make up the difference.

The lowest bid for cleaning the library, he said, came in around $4,000, and it is also included in the proposed budget.

This issue will be addressed by the Council when it begins its annual budget process.