Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Water Tank Bids Let At Rosston

Eagle Sandblasting and Painting was awarded the bid to refinish the interior of Rosston's water tank.

The Rosston City Council, in its regular monthly meeting Thursday, June 4, voted to go with Eagle instead of Utility Services to do the work.

Three companies had bid on the project, with one being rejected outright last month. It was a Missouri-based organization and hadn't bothered to send a representative to Rosston to look at the job.

Utility Service's original bid was for $20,250, but this was reduced to $14,175. However, along with the reduction in price, the scope of work the company would do was also cut back.

Additionally, the bid from Eagle was still less expensive than Utility Services new offering, at $13,812.

As soon as final arrangements can be worked out, the tank will be drained with the interior sandblasted to near white status. Any pits larger than 1/8 inch in depth will be filled, with all welds being striped in between coats of epoxy painting.

Once the painting is complete, the roof seams will be caulked and the tank disinfected, with new screens installed on the crows nest or roof vent, while a new manhole gasket will be put in.

The entire project will take approximately two weeks to complete.

Additionally, under terms of the proposal, Eagle will send a representative back to inspect the tank in a year, and make sure it's inspected and washed in two years, according to Rosston Mayor Lewis Jackson.

Before any work is begun, he said, the city will rent a generator as a backup in case of power loss, as happened with Thursday night's storms.

Stop Again Rental, out of Texarkana, he said, wanted $3,000 per week for a generator. But, J. Riggs of Little Rock will rent the city one for a month for $550. The only drawback could be Riggs doesn't want more than 40 hours use to be placed on the generator.

Councilman Rob Robison said this should be no problem. He continued saying even with the system in place and operational as it currently is, there have been reported losses in the poultry industry. "We can't leave the people or industry without water," he said. "We'd better get it (the generator)."

Jackson said the generator doesn't have an automatic switch to turn itself on in case of a power outage, but this would be no problem as he would come up and start it if the electricity went down.

Robison said the city still needs a generator of its own, but must first get through this period with the water tank being repaired.

Jackson said the city currently doesn't have the funds necessary to purchase a generator at this time, but it could be something to be looked into in the future.

In other business, the intersection for U.S. highways 278 and 371, along with Arkansas Highway 200, was discussed again.

Jackson has been in contact with engineers with the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department, asking about either a three-way light or three-way stop signs at the intersection.

The engineer was supposed to contact Jackson about the AHTD's options, but hadn't at the time of the meeting.

Councilman Randy Goodeau said he saw someone from the AHTD looking at the intersection, but this is an issue to important to be back burnered. He said there have been several occasions when semis coming from Waldo or Magnolia have wound up in his yard after failing to negotiate the turn.

He further said in many instances truck drivers blow their horns to warn other motorists of their approach and don't bother slowing down for the turn.

Jackson said if the engineer does nothing, the matter will be taken to Little Rock. "It's a dangerous area," he said, "and the engineer knows exactly where it is. Something has to be done."

Goodeau said it would help of the Nevada County Sheriff's Office would have deputies in the area more often, and has, on occasion, saw troopers with the Arkansas State Police at the intersection.