Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Residents Want More Info (cont)

plained the rates had been printed on the old cards, but when the new ordinance went into effect, it was left off the printing. There are two cycles of cards remaining, she said, and the new rates can be added on the next printing done.

Several residents complained they weren't properly informed of how much more the new rates would be and felt the city and council "went behind their backs" to do it.

"We did what the government said," Otwell told them. "We held a public meeting and no one voiced an opinion."

The next gripe was people wanting the meeting time and date of the council to be printed on the bill as well.

Still, no one said they didn't want the new water system, but wished they had been better informed before the new rates were put into place.

The people also wanted to be better informed when a boil order is in place.

Jack Faulkner said the city is required by law to put up one notice on a boil order, and it be at city hall. However, he said, four are actually put up, one on the Eagles Nest, another at city hall, the third at the beauty shop and the fourth at the post office.

Area radio stations can also be notified, Otwell said.

Someone asked if the water bills were based on a three-month use estimate. Otwell said this wasn't quite true. The city's sewer rates, though, are based on usage from December through February annually, with this figure used the rest of the year.

This program of estimating bills, he said, was approved by the federal government.

It was questioned why the eight-inch case iron water pipe from the tower pump along highway 67 won't be replaced. Otwell said the engineers informed him there is nothing wrong with this portion of the system and it should last another 10 to 15 years.

He said the new system is not a patch job, but will replace all other existing pipe with PVC pipe and add more fire hydrants. In fact, he said, no house in the city limits should be more than 500 feet from a hydrant after the new system is in place.

Under terms of the contract with the construction company, the company will repair all damage to property done while installing the system and will hook the lines to meters.

Construction on the project is expected to begin in about four weeks.