Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Georgia Company Interested In Gurdon Business

A Georgia company is interested in keeping Gurdon's water tanks maintained.

This is what Harold Hurst, superintendent of the Gurdon Water and Sewer Department, told the Gurdon Water and Sewer Commission Monday night during its regular monthly meeting.

The company, Utility Services Co., Inc., of Perry, GA, offered to do the maintenance for a cost of 5 percent of the value of a water storage tank per year. These tanks, Hurst said, cost about $250,000. The maintenance, then would cost the department about $12,500 annually.

Representatives with the company had examined the tank on 10th Street and found some pitting and rust. However, Hurst said this poses no health risks to water customers.

These workers went inside the tank after it had been drained and used high pressure water to blast away any loose debris on the inside. Photos were taken and will be developed for the commission to examine before it makes a decision as to whether or not it will hire Utility Services to maintain the tanks.

Hurst said the inside of the 10th Street water tank needs to be sandblasted to remove the pitting and rust and be relined.

The last time this was done, he informed the panel, was in 1980, with this particular tank being erected in 1972. Hurst said it normally costs about $30,000 to reline the interior of a water tank.

Once the department gets the photos and recommendation, the commission will have to decide if it wants to hire Utility Services to maintain all water tanks. Hurst said they work on an annual contract basis and their fees vary by no more than 5 percent.

He said the department may get a proposal from the company in January or February.

In the company's "introductory offer", Hurst said, the tank was drained, flushed and the pipe was sterilized with chlorine, along with the float system being repaired at a cost of $1,350.

Hurst said Charles Summerford, engineer for the Gurdon Rural Water Project, is looking to go to bid on the project in mid-January. The bids will include alternates on leaving and removing debris from the water line right of way.

Last month, the commission discussed keeping the right of way clear to make maintenance of the line easier for water department workers, but Summerford voiced some objections saying this could increase the cost of the overall project.

Additionally, the department reached an agreement with Roy Ricketts who signed off on the easement to allow the water line to cross his property. Ricketts, in the November meeting, was worried about losing some trees on his property if the lines came through.

Raises were also discussed and given by the commission. Employees with the Water and Sewer Department will receive 3 percent cost of living adjustments.

Hurst said the city council has discussed raises for all other city employees and stated the city can afford 3 percent raises as well. This will keep all departments relatively in line on the pay scale.

Returning to the topic of the rural water project, Hurst said there are still about 50 easements needed to be procured. He told the board once the project goes to bid, the government approves the plan and contractor, along with the insurance, it would be about four months before work actually begins.

This, he said, would put the start date for construction of the project somewhere in mid to late April, 1997.

Because of the way the funding has been set up, the portion funded by the Arkansas Industrial Development Commission needs to be spent first. This will mean the initial part of the project to be constructed will be in the Beirne area.

Trees were removed and sold from property the water department bought from Southwestern Bell Telephone for the water project. Hurst said the timber brought $1,945 which will go toward the purchase price of the property, $3,500.

Hurst and Summerford agreed the trees had to be cut down because they could have damaged the proposed water tank to be installed as well as a building on the land.

The only other order of business was the commission agreeing to pay its share for the city's Christmas party, held Friday, Dec. 13.