Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Housing improvement bids accepted

Three companies bid on the low-income housing renovation project for Nevada County.

Jon Chadwell, executive director of the Prescott-Nevada County Economic Development Office, told the Nevada County Quorum Court, at its December meeting, one company submitted a bid for one house, while the others bid on all properties involved. The bids, he said, were favorable and should be accepted by the Arkansas Development Finance Authority.

Chadwell said only one of the houses involved will be renovated, as the others need to be rebuilt. The property owners have agreed to have their homes knocked down and a new one constructed.

"We talked to both of the contractors who bid on all of the homes," he said, "and they each said they prefer using local subcontractors. One of the contractors is doing this in three other places."

According to Chadwell, the contractor working in three other places hires local subcontractors to do the work and supervises them, making sure it's done right and will meet the codes and specifications required.

The EDO, he said, has received a call from an Emmet resident asking if this program could be done there. Actually, he told the court, this program could go on for several years, being done within city limits and throughout the county.

Chadwell said tests were done to make sure the doors at the new fire station on the east side of town would go up when the siren goes off. Work on this project, which also includes an office for the Parks and Recreation Department, has been completed and an open house will be held sometime in January.

The sidewalk project, he said, is almost done. The Arkansas Highway Department did a walk-through to make sure all of the sidewalks meet the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements. Some of the sidewalks had to be "shaved" down to meet the proper height regulations.

But, he added, the additional work didn't cost the city anything, as the contractor was past the deadline in getting the project completed.

The walking/jogging trail project has been put on hold until Spring, he said. Heavy rains in October and November kept the project from getting started.

Emmet, he said, is working on a similar project and grant proposal. Chadwell is helping them write the grant. Prescott, he told the court, can't get another grant because it has one pending. So, once the walking/jogging trail is done the city can then apply for another grant. "I have the grant format in my computer," he said. "It shouldn't be hard to do."

At the end of the meeting, Nevada County Judge James Roy Brown presented Justice of the Peace Gary Lewis with a plaque for his 12 years of service on the court.