Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Rosston Council Discusses Water

Water, its smell, taste and cost, was discussed by the Rosston City Council at its first meeting of 1999, Thursday, Jan. 7.

However, before the meeting could be held, Rosston Mayor Lewis Jackson swore the members of the council into office.

Jackson began by informing the panel the city's water department will be audited by the same person who performed last year's audit, and it will be done at the same price.

The auditor, he said, will come to Rosston from Fort Smith Feb. 1, to go over the books.

Next up was a discussion of fund raising events planned by the Rosston Fire Department. Jackson said fire chief Johnny Jenson has several ideas to raise money for the department.

Some of the ideas tossed around at the meeting included having chili and hamburger suppers.

J.D. Luck, water superintendent, said the hydrants have all been located but before they are installed a representative from the Arkansas Fire Training Academy in Camden will check the hydrants out, mark where they should be put and then they will be painted.

Jackson said the installation of these hydrants could help reduce the cost of homeowner fire insurance for area residents.

He said many of the system's lines have been flushed and this may help some with the smell and taste the water has had of late.

The council talked about how the water smelled like sulphur and had a bad taste to it.

He said more chlorine could be added to help the problem as well.

Luck told the panel the chlorine doesn't spread through the system as well in cold weather as it does when it's warm. But, he added, adding more chlorine to the water supply could help with the smell and taste.

However, Luck and Jackson said the city's water is tested monthly with samples being sent to the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH). To date, they said, these samples have come back clean, with nothing showing to be harmful in the water.

Beulah Allen brought complaints about her water bill to the council. She claimed her account was not credited $70 paid on the November bill, and had the canceled check showing it had gone through the bank.

Allen said her December bill showed her owing $68.70 along with a monthly charge of $45 and tax.

She informed the council the December bill wouldn't be paid until the matter was straightened out.

Luck, who makes photostatic copies of checks for water bills, had the files from October, November and December with him at the council.

He agreed the November check had been credited against Allen's account, and told her he had no record of a payment for October. This, he said, is where the problem is.

Allen said the October bill had been paid and she would find the canceled check to prove it.

The council agreed to credit her account for the month in question once she provides proof the bill had been paid.

Jackson commended the council for the work done on the Rosston Christmas celebration for the community. "It made a lot of people happy who wouldn't have been otherwise," he said.