Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, April 13, 1990 TAG: 9004130383
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B2 EDITION: STATE
SOURCE: ELIZABETH PARKINS SPECIAL TO ROANOKE TIMES & WORLD-NEWS
DATELINE: BUENA VISTA LENGTH: Medium
Kidd and Goodman are concerned that Spence's presence on the commission would be a conflict of interest. Kidd said he couldn't agree with the decision, saying it would be similar to appointing a superintendent of schools to a school board.
Kidd asked that the Lexington city attorney be consulted to see what the contract between Spence and the jail commission actually says.
Kidd also asked if a Senate bill requiring the jail administrator to be on the jail commission would override the special circumstances surrounding the Spence appointment. Spence would join the same jail commission that voted to allow him to remain as administrator of the Rockbridge Regional Jail.
Spence has been under fire recently for claims of mismanaging of the Rockbridge Regional Jail. The commission, acting on a recommendation of Roanoke consultant Glenn Thomas, asked Spence to meet conditions if he is to remain as jail administrator.
In other council business, Kidd said that a visit to a Roxboro, N.C., cogeneration plant was convincing evidence that the proposed Ultrasystems Cogeneration Plant is a healthy and viable option for Buena Vista and Rockbridge County.
Kidd's visit to Roxboro came in the wake of public opposition to the plant. Monday, the Rockbridge County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution asking Gov. Douglas Wilder to appoint someone to investigate the possibility that cleaner cogeneration plants exist. Supervisors are concerned that the guidelines for pollution control for the proposed Buena Vista plant are not as stringent as they could be.
According to Kidd, the Roxboro plant - which runs under the same guidelines that would regulate the Buena Vista plant - has no pollution problem.
"You would expect coal to have dust, but the coal at the Roxboro plant was sealed. Even when you picked it up there was no dust on your hands," Kidd said.
Kidd said the Roxboro plant is removing ash through a new system. Instead of dumping ash through a chute it pumps the ash through a pipe into a closed truck, he said.
"We found the plant to be very clean. We found no water runoff, no coal dust. It was well maintained," said Kidd.
by CNB