Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Fire Contract Denied By Council

A new fireman and administrative assistant for Gurdon have been hired.

Gurdon Mayor Rick Smith, speaking to the Gurdon City Council Monday night during its regular meeting, said Wendy Maxwell has been hired as the administrative assistant, and Mike Minton is the newest member of the Gurdon Fire Department.

Minton, he said, works at chicken houses near the city and is available during the daylight hours, when it is hardest to get firemen to fight fires because of their jobs.

The council agreed not to sign any contracts promising automatic aid to other area fire departments.

Under terms of the contract, any time there is a fire in one department's area, the other department must respond. However, any money collected for battling the blaze would go to the department where the fire is located.

Pooling men and equipment, Smith said, helps reduce ISO ratings and insurance costs to homeowners. But, he continued, when the 9-1-1 emergency telephone system was installed, the GFD fire protection area was increased.

Before this, departments had agreed to fight fires within a five-mile radius.

Smith said Gurdon has a mutual aid agreement with all area fire departments and will respond to any blaze it's called to fight.

Currently, the GFD charges $500 per truck and $25 per man to respond to any fires outside its district. Under the contract, this money would be lost.

Applications are being sought for a street department employee, as the department is a man short.

Once the applications are in, the personnel committee will examine them, schedule interviews and select a new city employee.

Gurdon City Marshal David Childres informed the council he had ordered a new radar unit to help crack down on speeding in town. The unit was ordered about two weeks ago, he said, and should be in within a month.

The Second and Main street intersection was also discussed. Smith sent a letter to the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department (AHTD) asking something be done because this is a dangerous intersection.

The response stated the letter had been forwarded t the department's road design engineer for study. The intersection will be studied by the AHTD for accidents and traffic volume with the city being notified of the results.

Smith had the GPD pull accident reports for the intersection in the past three years and had businessmen in the area write letters stating they had seen several near misses. The GPD reports show seven accidents at the intersection in the last three years, with uncounted near misses.

Smith said a four-way flashing light, which would amount to a four-way stop, would be preferable to a stop light at Second and Main. This would slow traffic down, while not causing undue delays.

The four-way flashing light would also be less expensive to maintain than a normal traffic light.

Gurdon also got some good news for the GPD. Smith said U.S. Sen. Dale Bumpers helped the city get an unprecedented fourth Cops More grant for $5,250. The funds from this grant are to be used for overtime pay for police officers.

Normally, cities are cut off from the Cops More grant after three years, but with Sen. Bumpers' help, Gurdon beat the odds.

Katherine and Trey Burchfield were on hand to represent the 4-H Club.

She said the club had adopted Terre Noire Blackland Prairie, which is being encroached by cedar trees not native to the region. The trees have been cut and prepared for burning, while the land is replanted in wildflowers.

The club members do work on the prairie located near Okolona and have adopted its name for their club.

This reclamation project was sponsored by the City of Gurdon, Smith said, though 4-H members do all the work.

He presented Trey Burchfield with a certificate of appreciation for his and the club's volunteerism.