Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Hospital property could be site of new facility

The possibility of a nursing home on the former Nevada County Hospital grounds is among the issues likely facing the City of Prescott in 2008.

Prescott Mayor Howard Taylor said during a recent interview that the city now officially holds the deed for the hospital property and that the next step is to contract for the demolition of the building. Asbestos, mercury and mold in the building requires that a hazardous materials crew remove some of the interior before the rest of the building can be razed. Taylor said the city will be searching for funding to demolish the building once the hazardous materials are removed.

A nursing home has indicated interest in building there, Taylor said.

The details of the deal have not yet been released publicly.

On the tops of economics, Taylor said the county is located in an economically distressed area, though the county is fortunate to have two major employers - Firestone Building Products and Potlatch Wood Products. Taylor cited Firestones recent expansion efforts as a positive step for the area.

Safety, the city shop and the leaf ordinance

Taylor said the safety of city employees is always a major concern and said he is pleased to report that there have been no serious injuries reported in the past year. Though there have been no personal injuries, the city shop building was damaged recently when a piece of equipment inside caught fire which spread to the building. Taylor said he hopes a settlement with the insurance company is forthcoming so that the city crews can get equipment organized.

The equipment destroyed in the city shop fire - a backhoe and a track hoe - are used for various city projects. Neither is used in the picking up of leaves - a major issue that was prompted by the passing of an ordinance banning the burning of leaves. Despite some criticism, Taylor said he supports the councils action in passing the ban

Im satisfied thus far with it, he said.

There have been complaints because pick up isnt fast enough.

We just cant get around to get them all, Taylor said.

Taylor said theres a possibility of hiring additional part-time personnel to help with the pick up next year.

The ordinance calls for fines levied against those who burn leaves but Taylor said there have been no tickets issued. He said police have told those burning to put out the fires and that they have complied.

Other Business

On other topics, Taylor addressed the spirit of cooperation between the city and county. He said that there is currently an effort to locate a new economic development director to replace former director Donnie Crain, and that a cooperative relationship is vital for any economic development efforts.

Taylor said the city has recently agreed to pay $10,000 every quarter to the county for the operation of the Prescott-Nevada County Library in response to the recent complaints that the citys payments lag behind the librarys bills. The county pays the bills for the library but there is an agreement between the city and county that calls for the city to also pay a portion of the costs.