Oliver has lots of plans for 2017

By Staff, 01/9/17 1:50 PM

PRESCOTT – Prescott Mayor Terry Oliver has a lot of plans for 2017.

Several of his plans deal with the City Park area. The Prescott City Council was told a grant was approved by the Department of Parks and Tourism for the splash pad at its December meeting. Oliver said completion on the pad is expected around Memorial Day.

In addition, he said, there will be a volleyball court, horseshoe pit, picnic tables and barbecue grills across the street from the park where the old pool was. There will also be sandboxes for toddlers.

In a written statement, Oliver said the city needs to make some improvements to the city’s water and sewer facilities as several of the old pipes and sewer lines need to be replaced. During an interview Monday, Oliver added the area where these sewer pipes and lines are, have been backing up more than usual because of the sewer problems.

The city, he said, still has its legal team working on the electricity situation where rates being pancaked are concerned. The city spent around $200,000 in legal fees on this last year, and budgeted $206,000 for 2017, he added. Hopefully, he continued, the situation won’t take the entire year and the city can save some money on legal fees.

In addition, funds have been budgeted to have a zoning consultant work with the Prescott Planning and Zone Commission on new zones and maps, along with new, updated ordinances.

The city will continue removing condemned houses and working to improve the way the community looks.

Plans, he said, also include putting up a new security fence at the city shop on West Gee Street. Along with this, Oliver added, the city will continue adding to its Christmas decorations and light displays for the holidays.

The city, he said, will continue supporting the Prescott-Nevada County Chamber of Commerce, working with the Chamber and Prescott-Nevada County Economic Development Office to help existing businesses and bring new businesses to Prescott.

Oliver said the city has applied for state aid to pave a section of road from Hwy. 371 to Hines Trucking. Nevada County will be doing a chip and seal job on the road from the business to Washington Road later this year.

Prescott, Oliver said, wasn’t able to do much paving work last year because funds went to pay the legal fees on the electricity situation. He added the city always puts money into the electric department because it generates money for Prescott.

At this point, the city has all the equipment it needs for the work city crews do. Oliver said if the city needs to purchase a pickup this year, it will go through the state surplus program like it did for the last trucks bought.

The Prescott Police Department, he said, is working on grants to purchase new patrol cars, and the city will be putting more emphasis on the PPD and Prescott Fire Department this year.

Oliver has talked with Godwin and the EDO about getting a billboard set up on I-30 to try and attract people from the interstate to the downtown area for the flea market and antique shops.

“We’re still looking at the fishing pond project,” he said. “We need a spot for it.”

Oliver concluded the interview saying the new splash pad will be something the people of Prescott can be proud of. He said he and others had visited other communities with splash pads, including Benton, and the pad Prescott will be getting will be better than the one in Benton.