Spring Village Apartments wins revitalization award

Nevada Mayor Brian Leonard presents the 2011 Revitalization Award to Dana Blythe, Key Management regional property manager, center, and left, LaDonna Short, site manager, for the remodeling at Spring Village Apartments, 701 W. Garfield. This year trophy was made by Brian Hollands, Missouri Welding Institute.

The conversion of Davis Park into a Veterans' Memorial Park took a step forward Tuesday night when the Nevada City Council voted 5-0 to approve a memorandum of understanding with the Nevada Elks Lodge 564 on first reading. A parks board subcommittee made up of parks board members and Elks has been working for several months on this project; and until this ordinance is finally enacted at the council's March 20 meeting, nothing else can be done.

The current plan for the park includes a large garrison flag that the Elks will provide, as well as flags from each branch of the U.S. military services. Other additions to the park, like decommissioned military equipment, are currently under discussion.

"Will it be possible to put a monument in the park with the names of all the area veterans from World War II, World I, the Korean War, 'Nam and the Middle East?" area resident Harvey Akins asked.

The newly remodeled Spring Village complex, 700 W. Garfield.

Mayor Brian Leonard responded that what will be in the park is under discussion by the parks board and referred Akins to parks board president Jeff Post, who was in attendance at the council meeting.

In other business the council:

* Voted 5-0 to pass on first reading a general ordinance amending Chapter 28 of the Nevada City Code to adjust the sewer tap fees for industries inside the city and commercial and industrial fees outside the city, with the caveat that the council wanted to revisit the fee schedule soon. The ordinance also specifies that residential sewer customers' sewer bills are calculated on the average water usage from November through March.

* Voted 5-0 to pass on first reading a general ordinance amending Chapter 40, water services, in the Nevada City Code to change city's policy on delinquent bills to give residents 14 days to submit delinquent payments. The city is changing its meter reading procedure to allow all meters to be read in a 10-day period instead of the current 30 days, and then end out all bills within five days. Bills become due on the third Monday of each month. The city also no longer will give partial credit toward a bill if there is a leak that has been repaired. If the leak is repaired by a licensed plumber and the bill is at least double the customer's average bill, an amendment to this chapter will provide a due date extension. This ordinance also adjusts the water tap fees. It replaces a negotiated tap fee with a fixed $500 tap fee for industrial customers inside the city and a $7,500 tap fee for commercial/residential/industrial customers outside the city.

* Voted 5-0 to pass on first reading a special ordinance renewing long-standing service agreement with the Nevada Housing Authority for annual sewer billing for its 200 units based on the customers water usage between November and March. Because of the convenience of this to the city, the city give the housing authority a 5 percent discount if the bill is paid in full within 30 days.

* Voted 5-0 to pass on first reading a special ordinance approving a maintenance agreement with Washington Electronics, Pittsburg, Kan., for $1,900 to service the city's storm sirens.

The company will service the sirens in the spring and the fall.

* Voted 5-0 to pass on first reading a special ordinance to require contractors and the city when working in the public right-of-ways in Nevada to restore those areas to city standards following construction, excavating or boring.