ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, March 29, 1997 TAG: 9703310030
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: PAUL DELLINGER AND KATHY LOAN
Pulaski Town Council apparently has come up with an individual to fill a vacant seat, following a meeting Friday of its Human Resources Committee. The name of the prospective council member will not be released until Town Council meets Tuesday at 4 p.m. to vote on the nomination.
The committee met in closed session for about 40 minutes to consider filling the council vacancy and another on the town Planning Commission. At least one council member indicated later that the issues had been resolved.
The recommendations probably will be made formally at Tuesday's meeting, but since all council members attended the committee meeting, they should go through with no problem.
The vacancy was left by the resignation of W.H. "Rocky" Schrader. Council's first recommendation was H. Lee Chitwood, a lawyer who was unable to serve because he had recently been appointed as a substitute general district court judge.
Town Manager Tom Combiths told the council members Friday that the staff is two to three weeks behind on preparing a town budget for 1997-98. David Quesenberry, hired last week as the new assistant town manager, was temporarily sidelined with kidney stone problems. Water and sewer rates will be among the first budget items council will consider.
Upcoming:
The Montgomery County Board of Supervisors will meet Monday at 7 p.m. to continue reviewing its proposed 1997-98 budget.
Topics include the county's salary improvement plan and other budget issues the supervisors have earmarked for revisiting as they reviewed the proposed $77.8 million budget.
The county is entering the third year of a five-year salary improvement plan.
"The goal has been to reduce the disparity between our scale and other localities," Finance Director Carol Edmonds said. A salary survey conducted last fall showed that county positions are on average 17.6 percent below similar localities and the county public schools in starting salaries and 16.1 percent below in actual salaries.
Edmonds said the differential started at 24 percent and is now around 13 percent.
"It may only take us one more year to get us down" to the 5 percent range, Edmonds said. It's estimated that it will cost $125,055 to do that in the next budget year.
The supervisors will hold another budget work session Wednesday at 7 p.m. Both meetings are on the third floor of the county courthouse.
Riner residents who want to hear the results of a survey of 300 about the future of the community are invited to attend one of three meetings next week.
A group of urban and regional planning students from Virginia Tech will present the findings of a 31-question survey that asked residents of Riner, Bethel and Pilot about growth and development issues. The questions dealt with land use, public utilities and the importance of cultural events and community.
The meetings will be held Tuesday, Thursday and Friday at 7 p.m. in the Auburn High School library.
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