ROSSTON – The Rosston City Council addressed several financial and infrastructure matters during its recent meeting, including replacement of the generator at the city’s water tower, discussion of the proposed 2027 budget, and an effort to pay off the City Hall construction loan earlier.
One of the major projects discussed was replacing the generator at the Rosston water tower. The existing generator has reportedly begun overheating, prompting the city to approve its replacement with a Generac generator at an estimated cost of just under twenty thousand dollars. The new generator will provide automatic backup power for the city’s water system. According to the mayor, if electrical power is lost, the generator will automatically start, allowing the city’s water pumps to continue operating without requiring someone to manually start it or bring in diesel fuel during an extended power outage.Mayor Samuel Quarles said the generator will serve everyone on the city’s water system. The project also includes assistance from Summit Gas Company, which is providing services at no cost to the city to extend propane service to the site, including boring beneath the roadway and installing a meter so the new generator can be connected to the propane line. The mayor expressed his appreciation for Summit Gas Company’s contribution, saying, “I just can’t thank them enough.”.
The council also discussed the proposed 2027 budget. The mayor noted that while the council started reviewing the proposed budget early, final approval is not expected until December. The proposed budget includes increases in some utilities and other expenses, along with some employee raises. The city is also increasing its monthly payment on the loan used to finance construction of City Hall, applying an additional amount toward the principal each month to pay it off sooner.
During an open discussion period, the mayor raised concerns about the level of assistance Rosston receives from Nevada County. He said he does not feel the city is getting a “fair shake” from the county, particularly regarding road maintenance. He said he has looked at other roads where he observed chip sealing or paving, while he has not been able to get similar assistance for Scenic Drive. He said he has used available resources to improve that road, including having road millings placed on it, but said heavy rains have washed much of the material away. Mayor Quarles also questioned why the county could not assist with the road, saying he had been told at one point that assistance could not be provided because it was within city limits. He added that he seeks assistance for other projects when resources are available, and noted that he has worked to assist the local school when possible without negatively affecting city finances. He said, “I go outside the box sometimes to help others without affecting the city.”. He also said he voted in favor of the county sales tax, but questioned what services the city receives in return. He said he eventually stopped asking for assistance because he was “tired of being told no”.