Update: Nevada City council hears Calanan Park report, approves smoking ban

Photo by Bob Lickter A group of people stroll past Calanan Park on a warm summer day. A committee report says the city needs to consider removing some trees and doing extensive landscaping in the park.

The Nevada City council heard nearly two hours of testimony on the Calanan Park committee report before deciding to continue to study the matter. It also voted for the final time to ban smoking on city property and decided not to pursue grants for "eco-districts." Due to the length of the meeting, the council postponed hearing a report on the condition of public bathrooms on Nevada Street.

Editor's note: Read more about this in the next edition of the Nevada City Advocate, which will be available on newstands on Thursday, Feb. 4

Update

 The Nevada City council heard nearly two hours of testimony on the Calanan Park committee report before deciding to continue to study the matter. It also voted for the final time to ban smoking on city property and decided not to pursue grants for "eco-districts." Due to the length of the meeting, the council postponed hearing a report on the condition of public bathroom on Nevada Street.

Posted on Jan. 26

The Nevada City council will hear a long-awaited report on proposed changes for Calanan Park, give final approval to a smoking ban with fines as high as $500 and consider tearing down the public restrooms at 101 Nevada Street at its meeting on Wednesday.

 The Council will also hear a report on ‘eco-districts” and consider a motion to encourage the Board of Supervisors to reject the outsourcing of the management of the Nevada County Library system at the meeting, which is scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at City Hall chambers at 317 Broad Street.

 Calanan Park report

 Vice Mayor Robert Bergman will present a report drafted by the Calanan Park Committee, which he chairs.

 The nine-page report looks at landscaping the park, removing some trees and either moving or removing some of the large mining artifacts at the park in downtown Nevada City. The report also looks at the possibility of using the park someday as a venue for small concerts or other events.

 The committee was formed after years of complaints about suspected drug use in the park and the types of people who sometimes spend time there.

 The report does not have any cost estimates nor does it identify any sources of funds for park improvements. The committee concludes its report by saying that if the council wants to proceed with a park-renovation project, it should hold a community workshop before a final plan is agreed upon.

 The committee began meeting in June.

 Smoking ban

 The Council plans to vote for a second and final time on an ordinance that bans smoking on all city property, including parks and trails. The ordinance calls for a $100 fine for the first violation, $200 for a second violation and $500 for any subsequent violations in a one-year period. The council previously voted 4-1 for the ban.

Public restrooms

 City Engineer Bill Falconi is recommending that the city raze the public restrooms on Nevada City. According to his report, the buildings are “in dire need of repairs and are unsafe for use as restrooms. Vandalism is frequent.”

 It would cost an estimated $15,000 to fix the bathrooms, which is more than it cost to build the new bathrooms at Robinson Plaza, according to the city’s report.

 Falconi says if the buildings were torn down, the city could add four parking spots to the lot.

 The meeting will be broadcast live on Channel 17 on NCTV and streamed live on nevadacountytv.org.