The
Wise County Board of Supervisors met in a Workshop meeting
on Thursday, September 2, 2004 at 6:00 p.m. at the Coeburn
Community Library located in Coeburn, VA. The following
were present: Honorable
John Peace, Chairman
Honorable
Fred Luntsford - Vice-Chairman
Honorable
Robert Adkins
Honorable
Steve Bates
Honorable
Ronnie Shortt
Honorable
Virginia Meador
Honorable
Leland Branham
Honorable
Robert Robbins members of said Board and
Edward
L. Sealover - County Administrator
Shannon
C. Scott - Assistant County Administrator
Karen
T. Mullins - County Attorney
Annette
Underwood - Executive Secretary
PRAYER
T.
G. Branson led the Board in prayer.
PLEDGE
All
led in the pledge of allegiance to the flag.
Mayor
Ringley welcomed the Board to their facility.
IN
RE: APPROVAL OF AGENDA
The
following changes were made to the agenda:
Public
hearings: Change Timbergreen Lane to Deer Haven Hills
New
Business: Delete Resolution regarding the Lee County and
the LPOOY from agenda
IN
RE: IDA UPDATE
Bill
Hunsaker, Chairman of the Wise County IDA, and Carl Snodgrass,
Administrative Assistant for Economic Development, presented
to the Board an update on the Wise County Industrial Development
Authority's activities and the progress that is being made
toward economic development.
IN
RE: PUBLIC HEARING / SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT PLAN
A
public hearing was duly advertised for this date to receive
citizens' comments regarding the proposed Solid Waste Management
Plan for Wise County, Norton and the incorporated towns.
There
being no one to speak, the public hearing was closed.
IN
RE: PUBLIC HEARING / ORDINANCE TAX EXEMPT STATUS FOR
BLUE RIDGE PUBLIC TV
A
public hearing was duly advertised for this date to receive
citizens' comments regarding a proposed Ordinance Approving
the Exemption of the Blue Ridge Public Television from certain
taxation.
There
being no one to speak, the public hearing was closed.
IN
RE: PUBLIC HEARING / E-911 ROAD NAME ADDITIONS
A
public hearing was duly advertised for this date to receive
citizens' comments regarding sixty-six (66) proposed E-911
road name additions with the notation that the proposed
name "Timbergreen Lane" has been changed to "Deer Haven
Hills" as per the request of the adjacent property owners.
There
being no one to speak, the public hearing was closed.
IN
RE: PUBLIC EXPRESSION
Edgar
Mullins, a resident of the Pound area, made the following
requests:
1)
addressed
the water problem on the property owned by Betty Roberts,
adjacent to the parking lot behind the courthouse with
some solution for the drainage problem
2) adopt
a resolution supporting stronger laws regarding strip mining
safety
3) adopt
a resolution supporting stronger laws against companies
filing bankruptcy
Mr.
Mullins voiced his opposition to shipping garbage out of
the County.
Nina
Greear addressed the Board stating that the Riverview community
is in the process of attaining the deed to the old Riverview
School for the purpose of converting it into a community
center. Two individuals have signed a note at Miner's
Exchange Bank to purchase the building for the community.
The building is in need of repairs with one being the roof.
Two estimates on repairing the roof have been secured with
the lowest estimate being $20,000. Ms. Greear asked
for financial assistance in the amount of $10,000 toward
that cost.
Walter
Crouse thanked the Board for its contribution toward establishing
a software engineering laboratory at UVA-Wise and hoped
that other counties would follow suite.
Mr.
Crouse asked that more be done on keeping the county roads
clean and to use our waste products to make our own fuel.
He stated that there are problems with water pressure to
the fire hydrants belonging to PSA.
Being
a judge for PACE, Mr. Crouse asked that parents support
the kids in PACE the same as they do other athletic programs.
Raymond
Trent asked that the Board not support school consolidation
since it takes away from the towns. He asked that
the School Board also be discouraged in its endeavor to
consolidate.
Andy
Richardson, representing seven (7) families living on Homestead
Road, stated that the blind curve at the end of this driveway
is very dangerous and needs to be removed. Several
people have escaped bare misses in having tragic accidents
or perhaps being killed because of the lack of sight distance
in that area. Mr. Richardson said he has made
several attempts to have this problem corrected but to date
nothing has been done. He asked for the Board's assistance
in getting this problem resolved.
Roger
Williams, a resident of Williams Road located in the Wildcat
section of Big Stone Gap, informed the Board that Williams
Road is scheduled to be taken into the secondary system
within the next year. However, he asked for assistance
in fixing the existing potholes in the pavement and doing
the fill work that needs to be done around the bridge until
such time the road is taken into the system.
Thad
Zylawy, a resident of the Town of Coeburn, asked that "Children
at Play" signs be placed on 6th Street in Coeburn.
Judy
Call, a resident of the Riverview section of Coeburn, informed
the Board that there are seven (7) families in this section
of Coeburn that have been unsuccessful in getting connected
to the sewer system. Each home has a septic system that
is constantly failing to perk because of the poor condition
of the soil. Ms. Call said the PSA has been approached
several times as well as the Health Department regarding
this situation but the need has fallen on deaf ears.
She asked the Board for some support in getting the sewer
system extended to these homes.
Della
Meade, a resident of the Riverview section of Coeburn area,
supported Ms. Call's request and her comments stating that
the odor was so bad in the summer months that the children
could not play outside. She has also called PSA, the Health
Department and Congressman Boucher for assistance but no
one has made any attempt to help them.
There
was some discussion on prior history regarding individual
hook ups on the sewer. Several suggestions were made as
to possible funding sources to help fund this extension.
Fred
Luntsford, member of the PSA Board, stated that he would
bring this request before the PSA Board at its next meeting
for consideration.
There
being no further comments, public expression was closed.
IN
RE: ROADS AND HIGHWAYS
Highway
Resident Engineer T. G. Branson gave a brief update on construction
throughout the County.
Board
members voiced needs in their district for VDOT review.
IN
RE: CONSENT AGENDA
The
following items were reviewed under the consent agenda:
1) Resolution
Indicating Compliance with Certain Requirements Concerning
the North Fork Water Extension Project
2) Resolution
of Support for the Wise County, City of Norton and Towns
of Appalachia, Big Stone Gap, Coeburn, Pound, St. Paul,
and Wise Solid Waste Management Plan, August 2004
3) Budget
Amendment
No
3: Increase General Fund revenues by $85,824 (various
grants); deposit in several line items of the Dept.
of Social Services
No.
4: Increase General Fund revenues by $750 (DMV Mini-grant);
deposit in Sheriff Law Enforcement overtime line item
No. 5: Increase General Fund revenues by $5,000 (Town of
Wise); deposit in PEG line item in non-departmental portion
of budget
IN
RE: OTHER ITEMS REVIEWED
1) Request
from Commonwealth Attorney for funding for additional $10,295
for staff salaries (Requested by Chairman Peace)
2) Registrar's
request for a County salary supplement (10%)
3) Award
of bid on small 4x4 SUV's
4) Appointment
of Animal Control Officer
5) Appointments
6) Board
comments
IN
RE: RESOLUTION / LPOOY PROGRAM
Board
member Steve Bates asked that the resolution requesting
Lee County's withdrawal and/or removal from the Lonesome
Pine Office on Youth Services Board be removed from the
agenda at this time.
IN
RE: COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR'S REPORT
Administrator
Sealover gave the Board a brief report on his site visit
to the proposed Black Mtn. Scenic Overlook. He provided
a cost estimate of approximately $10,000 annually to maintain
the site. This cost includes tools, equipment, personnel
and other necessary purchases and expenses.
He
also provided information regarding fees, rates, charges,
etc for the Riverview sewer project.
ADJOURN
There
being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 7:25
p.m.
ATTEST: WISE
COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
______________________
_______________________
Edward
L. Sealover, Clerk John
W. Peace, II, Chairman
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