Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Gurdon Had Good Year In 1998

]BY JOHN MILLER

Gurdon had a good 1998, according to Mayor Rick Smith.

Smith, in his annual "State of the City" address to the Gurdon City Council, went over each department, telling of the accomplishments therein.

The city, he said, managed to meet and, in some cases, exceed the goals set at the first of 1998.

He began with the street department, praising it for the amount of work it got done during the year.

This work included the completion of the Stone Street project in conjunction with the Clark County Road Department. This street had been used as a detour for large trucks while the Caney Bridge project was underway on Smithton Road.

While there was much criticism about using a city street for truck traffic, in the end it proved to be the right thing to do. Not only were there no accidents, but under the agreement the city had with the county, Stone Street was completely rebuilt and is now the best street in the city.

South 10th Street was chipped and sealed from Main Street to Kansas Road. This section of the street was originally gravel only, and the chipping and sealing will protect the surface from deterioration.

North 10th was also chipped and sealed from Main Street to the City Limits in front of Rose Hedge Cemetery.

These projects were done with the city's street department working with the county road crews.

The street department was also able to purchase a plot of land by the Gurdon Post Office. This property had been owned by the Boy Scouts of America, and when the organization decided to sell, the city stepped in and bought it.

The department had been using the land to park its equipment on before the purchase.

From there, Smith ventured to the Gurdon Water and Sewer Department, saying the long awaited Gurdon Rural Water Project is now a reality, coming to a close in '98.

When Smith took office in 1994, this project had been in the planning stages for several years. It took another four years, but the project got off the drawing board and became real.

The project saw more than 50 miles of water lines laid to outlying

areas around the city, while getting sewer service to the new Gurdon High School on Highway 67 south.

Smith called the project a winner for everyone involved as it increased the city's pumping capacity with the addition of another well and storage tank, while getting water to those in need.

He praised the Gurdon Water and Sewer Commission for its work and foresight, along with the lending agencies involved and those people who volunteered their time to get the message out about the benefits of having city water.

Next on the list was the Gurdon Fire Department, one of Smith's favorites.

He said Gurdon is fortunate to have a department of this caliber, with top notch men and equipment on hand to protect the citizens of the city in emergency situations.

He talked glowingly about the new South Clark County Rescue Unit and its importance to the residents of the southern part of the county.

Gurdon's Police Department, he said, did an excellent job in 1998. Smith told the council the GPD not only worked to lower the violent crime rate, but increased revenue from city fines.

Violent crimes, he said, were almost nonexistent in 1998. There were no murders or armed robberies during the calendar year. He gave the credit for this to the city having a well- staffed police department working hard to protect the people.

In discussing the Rose Hedge Cemetery, Smith said this was the only department to go over budget, but this was due to unforseen repairs needed to keep the equipment operational.

The city, he said, was fortunate to acquire an adjoining piece of property for the cemetery. This plot of land was donated to the city from a long-time resident.

There were changes in the administration of the Gurdon Housing Authority, he said but indications are the GHA is doing well and providing needed housing to the less privileged of the area.

Solid Waste finances began in a shaky manner, but gained ground and ended on solid footing during the year.

The revenue for this department exceeded anticipation by 8.2 percent.

Animal control became a reality in 1998, with the aid of a half-cent sales tax passed by the people in Nov. 1997.

Smith began researching the animal control situation in '94, getting all the necessary data, before taking the issue of a sales tax before the council and subsequently the people.

The animal control officer also doubles as a maintenance person for the city's municipal building. This, Smith said, takes part of the work load from the street department as it had been doing the grounds keeping at City Hall.

Additionally, the number of stray dogs in the city has declined appreciably.

From animal control, Smith discussed the city's administrative assistant, saying she has been named Gurdon's liaison with the U.S. Census Bureau and will work to make sure the city gets an accurate count in the upcoming census.

Gurdon, and all other cities, receives federal funds based on the total population in the amount of about $63 per person. This money helps the city continue to provide services for the people, while working on projects to improve the quality of life in the area.

He praised the recorder-treasurer for providing the council with accurate financial records for each meeting, while also keeping up with the city's funds and records.

City Hall, in 1998, was completely renovated, with the work made possible from a $230,000 grant from the Cabe Foundation.

On the down side, Smith said, Pineview Nursing Home closed. He called this one of the most devastating things to happen to Gurdon.

Though the city's people banned together to fight the closing, the state agency responsible for nursing homes allowed the owners to move their license to Arkadelphia.