Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

County Signs Lease With ARK Foundation; Employees Get Raise

Nevada County is receiving an ARK which may save it from drowning.

At Risk Kids (ARK) Foundation and county officials entered into agreement to fill the vacated Nevada County Hospital building on Highway 67 in Prescott.

ARK Foundation will lease the building for an annual $1 payment beginning May 1st and continuing for two years.

ARK's chairman, John Gorman, told JPs the group will spend most of its first year raising funds to purchase the building from the county before the lease expires.

Gorman told JPs the facility when in full operation will be mostly for inner city youths at- risk who have been physically or sexually abused.

Referrals will come from police departments, fire departments and emergency medical services (EMS) employees.

Prescott-Nevada County Economic Director Chandler Russ told JPs the public's support behind the ARK Foundation was tremendous.

His recommendation as well as the hospital committee's recommendation to accept the lease agreement with ARK was based upon information from two Prescott doctors, Charles Vermont and Michael Young, two former hospital administrators and meetings held with ARK Foundation and a Louisiana-based rehabilitation hospital.

Russ said the long term impact to the county will be tremendous. It is expected 60 to 80 new jobs will open due to ARK's commitment to building this project.

ARK Foundation relies upon donations to fund the majority of its already existing work.

According to a prepared state-ment, other projects by ARK include "U.S. Police and Fire Children's Hospital, develop anti-drug, gang resistance, anti-violence in schools and child abuse educational programs."

Information on the announcement of the U.S. Police and Fire Children's Hospital will be announced later this year.

ARK hosts "911 Games," the U.S. Police, Fire and EMS Youth Sports Festival and the U.S. Martial Arts Authority activities.

These programs are designed to raise funds for its projects, build a strong national network and support the children's hospital. The first games are scheduled for Shreveport, La., in August.

JPs approved three ordinances to help the Bodcaw-Waterloo Water Project in other business. These ordinances were tabled in March's meeting.

JPs voted to give all county employees a 3 percent pay raise also during the meeting.

The raises amount to nearly $33,000. A motion for a 5 percent pay raise died for lack of a second.

A resolution was passed by the group to donate a corner lot where the old hospital walking track is for a proposed new health unit building.

The state has earmarked $375,000 for the structure, but it required a 10% 'in-kind' match from the county.

Brown told the JPs the location, which is across the street from the current building, will suffice as the county's donation.