Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Mayor says clean-up will continue

The clearing of 30 dilapidated houses in 2007 is only the beginning of the clean-up project with at least that many more slated for removal in 2008.

Gurdon Mayor Clayton Franklin said the clean-up effort thus far has been a success and that he expects city crews to get started on additional properties within the next week.

We cleaned up 30 properties, Franklin said. Weve got that many more this year.

He said there are more run-down buildings in town that most people expected to find.

You dont realize what alls out there until you go out there and look for it, he said.

The project is a aimed at making the city more attractive while eliminating the dangers and health hazards of the run-down properties. The buildings are first condemned by the Gurdon City Council and owners given the opportunity to clean up the property, making repairs or removing the buildings themselves. If the owner doesnt comply, the buildings are razed, materials removed and the lots leveled.

Franklin said small towns - including Gurdon - are facing economic challenges. Clark County is making new economic development endeavors. While Gurdon will not likely become home to a major industry, the city can profit from industries located at other places in the county as a bedroom community. This is a term used to describe towns where industrial workers choose to live and raise a family.

Were probably always going to be a bedroom town, Franklin said.

He said that making the city more attractive is a way to entice those who work at jobs in Arkadelphia or the Clark County Industrial Park to opt to live in Gurdon. He cited the higher property values in Arkadelphia, saying that even if someone cant find a home they want in Gurdon, the recent demolitions mean there are places to build.

We could attract those people to Gurdon to build on those vacant lots, Franklin said.

Franklin said the Gurdon Pond is another 2007 project that will be ongoing in 2008. The city now owns the property and the right-of-way for access to the property. The goal is to have a water source, should the city ever need it - especially important if a major industry were to consider locating in the area.

Franklin said the Gurdon lake located on Highway 67 at the southern edge of town isnt owned by the city. The city owns the park property, but not the lake itself.

We couldnt use that for water supply even if we wanted to, he said.

Looking ahead at 2008, Franklin predicted that there would be no paving projects this year due to the cost of oil, which has driven up the cost of asphalt and the cost of paving projects.

Well mostly have to do patching and keep up with where we are, he said.

Financially, the city begins 2008 in good shape.

Were in the black, Franklin said.

Franklin said city departments have been held accountable for staying within approved budget amounts, and have done that well.

Franklin predicted few major ordinance issues for the coming year. He said the ordinances currently being argued in many towns are zoning issues and dog control, and both have already been addressed in Gurdon.