Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Water policy changes

City Council members approved another plan Monday night to encourage water users in Gurdon to pay their bill by the 10th of the month.

Tambra Childres, recorder and treasurer, said a $25 late charge will automatically be put on the bill if the water and sewer bill is paid on or after the 19th of the month.

This $25 is in addition to the 10 percent late charge that is put on for those customers paying between the 10th and the 18th.

"We are hoping this will encourage our citizens to pay on time and avoid the late fee," she said. "We are doing away with the $40 reconnect fee when we implement this change. Ours is a problem with staff having time to go back and reconnect, not a desire for the city to make extra cash. Plus, our water connectors don't usually carry change. This new method is modeled after the way Arkadelphia does their billing."

Mayor Clayton Franklin said water and sewer reconnections have been averaging nearly 50 per month, and the reconnection fee of $40 did not seem to help get it down to the 10 or 12 reconnections that "would be a manageable amount."

"In fact, we had 58 reconnections this past month," he added. "We will implement this new policy in June."

In more legalistic terms, the City Council submitted this explanation.

"Bills are due on the 10th of every month. A 10 percent late fee after the 10th will apply. You will have until the 18th to pay this charge, and then on the 19th (shut-off day), we will check the night box. When the office opens at 8 a.m., bills not paid will have a $25 charge with no excuses. There will not be an additional charge if services are shut off. This will eliminate the $40 charge."

The mayor said people were paying the reconnect fee, but the goal of less reconnections due to the penalty was just not happening.

"The late fee thing has never been about the city trying to make extra money off of our customers," Franklin said. "We are just trying to get people to pay on time. Maybe this new policy will help."

In other business, Mayor Franklin said Gurdon has entered into a five-year agreement with Clark County Solid Waste Management to either use the landfill at Whitehall or the one at Jacksonville.

"The bottom line is IP held fast and would not sell them the land on Smithson Road to use for a landfill," the mayor said.

"Even though close to $100,000 was spent surveying it and studying it, this latest development means we wont have a landfill out at Smithson for at least another 10 years."

Morever, Franklin talked about the Whelen Springs water system expansion project down Kansas Road to Nix's Ferry.

"It's Gurdon water and we always have charged Whelen about $560 per month to read meters inside the city limits of Whelen. This new system will be much bigger and we will have raise the fee."

Franklin said the City Council has time to consider an adequate amount, as Whelen Springs needs time to finish the project and get it up and running.

A complaint about dogs running loose all over town in the evenings was levied by a member of the audience.

Mayor Franklin said, "They know our hours and wait until city workers are off the clock to turn the dogs loose. We may have to surprise them some evening."

In other business, Franklin said summer paving on the streets should begin sometime in June. Negotiations are still in process to choose a company to apply the asphalt.

Street Superintendent Jim Cladwell said street preparation is under way.

In cemetery matters, the mayor agreed to have a chain-linked fence fixed at the back of the cemetery on 10th Street, which was said to have been damaged by fishermen trying to get to a pond.

Wilma Davis Freeman was appointed to a new term on the Housing Authority Board. James Hilton was also voted to serve.

The council voted for Wilma Davis Freeman to serve as vice chairman from April 19, 2005, until April 19, 2006.

Franklin said the $35,000 for the walking trail project is being utilized and progress being made, with grass being planted, benches being installed and gravel being hauled to the trail area in preparation for the pouring of four-inches of pavement.

There will also be a new, hard surfaced parking area next to the trail. The trail is just behind the Gurdon Primary School off of 10th Street.

Franklin said because of efforts of Representative Tommy Roebuck there is an additional $35,000 in Gurdon's Parks and Recreation fund, which will used, in part, to continue improving things at the City Park on Highway 67.

"We still plan to move our caboose out there," the mayor said. "It will make an excellent playhouse for the children."

Members of the crowd complimented the mayor on the painting at the park, the new lights out there, and the preparation for an area to move the caboose.

Caldwell said he is waiting on a railroad donation of some track and then he will get the caboose moved from Front Street.

"We have been promised some donation help in the project and want to give those people a chance to get to it," he said.