Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Hurst Displeased With Times Article

Harold Hurst, manager of the Gurdon Water and Sewer Department voiced displeasure over a recent Gurdon Times article.

When the Gurdon City Council met for its regular monthly meeting Monday, Sept. 14, it was brought out $187 was missing from a 1995-96 audit. The money was from cemetery dues and mowing paid to the Gurdon Police Department after hours.

At the time, the money was reportedly taken to the Water Department and placed in the safe. However, the money was never recorded through the city recorder/treasurer.

Hurst was unhappy and told the Gurdon Water and Sewer Commission, at its regular monthly meeting Monday, Sept. 21, the article made it appear as though the money was taken from the department.

"To the best of my knowledge," Hurst said, "there's never been a shortage when they (the GPD) got money from the safe. It (the article) made me think it was pointing fingers.

"I've talked to the people involved. All of them know it wasn't the case. I've asked the police department not to use the safe any more."

Hurst said the water department handles $600,000 a year and it looks like the $187 missing has something to do with here and I don't like it."

The use of the safe was originally offered because the police department didn't have one.

He pointed out the money missing was from 1995-96 and other employees could have been involved besides Rhonda Spruill, the office manager for the water department, who opens the safe daily.

The shortage was found from an audit done by the state earlier this year.

According to Hurst, when the GPD dispatcher was questioned she said there was never a shortage from getting money from the water department.

The commission voted to quit letting others use the water department's safe and gave the GPD a month to make other arrangements.

However, at the council meeting earlier this month, the city's governing body voted to purchase a safe for the GPD once renovations of City Hall are completed.

In other business, the commission was told the final court case for the rural water project has been settled and the department shouldn't have to go back.

Repairs to the dump truck recently purchased cost about $1,600.

A leak has developed in the 300,000 gallon water tank on 10th Street. Hurst said the interior liner is tar based and the tank was built in 1972.

The original liner, he said, came off and faults were found in the paint. These repairs were done, but this was 18 years ago.

There are two ways of making the repairs, he told the commission, one is to do a patch job on the bad spot. It would cost about $6,000 to sand and patch the bad spot.

However, engineer Charles Summerford doesn't recommend this method as it has been so long since any repairs were made to the tank. Instead, Summerford said the tank should be completely repaired on the inside and suggested the department get bids on getting this done. His estimate for the work is about $58,000.

In a letter to Hurst, Summerford wrote the tank needs to be grit blasted to near white inside and be coated with two coats of quality epoxy paint. He estimated this would cost about $24,000.

Should there be red lead primer beneath the tar coating, the cost would rise as this is considered a hazardous material and could hike the price to $50,000. Engineering fees and an inspection by the Arkansas Department of Health account for the remaining $8,000.

The commissioners agreed to get bids for the project instead of doing a temporary patch job.

The final order of business concerned the Bowen Hill sewer lift station. Hurst said it has been giving the department fits on Walnut between Stone Street and Phillips Drive.

Hurst said a package station will run about $18,000, but will be a complete unit to be set in place on a new slab.

The existing building has been in bad shape for years, he said, and needs to be replaced. This system used to be in the city's system, but was bought by developers and worked into subdivisions in the area. The city got the system back later on.

A new pump was installed in 1983, but there are problems with the seals and bearings.

Hurst suggested getting away from the centrifugal pump to a submersible pump.

The new pump, as the commission agreed to buy a new one, will be installed by the company as the warranty could be affected if the department did the installation.

This project will also have to be bid out.