Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Camps Denied Water Lines

All water lines are in place for Gurdon's Rural Water System.

However, the construction crews are doing the final testing before customers will be allowed to hook onto the system, according to Harold Hurst, manager of the Gurdon Water and Sewer Department.

Hurst told the Gurdon Water and Sewer Commission, at its regular monthly meeting Monday night, G&S Trenching, the construction company, is testing the lines, flushing them and taking samples to make sure no impurities are in the water.

Once these tests are complete, customers will be able to hook onto the lines and have city water.

Hurst said most of the customers in the Bierne area have already been hooked to the system as the testing has been finished there.

However, he said there will be no water going to the camps in the Bierne area after all. The Ross Foundation will not allow the project to have the easements it needs to cross the land and put water in to the camps.

The reasoning from the Ross Foundation, Hurst said, is there are no permanent residents out there and the foundation felt it would be liable in some capacity and there are no sewer lines being ran to the camp sites. According to Hurst, the Ross Foundation felt some people may homestead in the camps if they had running water.

Because of this, he said, the project fell through. However, those residents in the Greenville community are being given a second chance.

Hurst informed the panel letters were mailed to 15 residents in the region giving them the opportunity to hook onto the system, but, to date, only one has responded.

Still, he said, there will be money left once the project is completed. Hurst suggested the water and sewer department use it to purchase a truck to haul the equipment to rural customers if the lending agencies will approve the transaction.

A two-ton truck would be needed to pull the equipment, he said. The department's current dump truck is having mechanical problems and needs to be replaced.

The remaining funds from the rural project, Hurst told the board, must be spent on water related items or be given back to the lending agencies.

The board was also informed the water lines on Sticky Road have been relocated at the request of the Arkansas State Transportation and Highway Department. G&S Trenching did the work and has requested partial payment. Hurst said the state will reimburse the city 100 percent for the work done as it was necessary because of changes made to the road plans.

Because of the additional work load being placed on the water and sewer department employees, Hurst asked the board to consider giving them a raise. He suggested paying them $1 an hour more because of the increased work which will be generated by the rural water system.

He told the board there will be 362 more customers to work with in addition to the current 1,030 in the city and Whelen Springs' 107.

"Everyone will have more to do," he said. "The bookkeeping system could get more involved than one person can handle alone.

"I think the salary needs to be adjusted for the work being done. I know we'll catch flak if we give a raise, but the increased workload justifies it."

Commissioner Don Morehead agreed, saying the department needs to be able to keep good people.

Board president Bill Dulin said several employees have left because of the pay in the past.

The starting pay for a water department employee is $7 an hour, with all required to work at least 40 hours per week.

Carroll Coston said a dollar an hour raise will increase the department's salary budget by $10,400 a year.

However, the board agreed to discuss this issue further at the December meeting. Hurst said any raise given would not go into effect until Jan. 1.

Meanwhile, the commission did approve giving the department employees their standard Christmas bonus. This amounts to 10 percent of a month's wages.