Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, March 31, 1990 TAG: 9003310044
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV6 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: RICK LINDQUIST SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES & WORLD-NEWS
DATELINE: DU LENGTH: Medium
The recreation proposal program dominated discussions Thursday night when the three bodies met in Dublin.
The commission would have six members from Pulaski County, four from Pulaski and two from Dublin to be appointed by May 1 for the trial period. "If successful, it would roll into an authority," said Pulaski County Supervisor Bruce Fariss.
Fariss also suggested excluding supervisors or council members from the authority. He recommended that appointees be citizens, not politicians or administrators.
Pulaski Town Councilman Andy Graham disagreed. "We're the ones who have to spend the money," he said.
County Supervisor Jerry White said, "I can't say elected officials know beans about recreation. . . . Let the people who really know what it takes to run it, to drive it, come to us."
The governments have committed $140,000 to run the program for one year starting July 1. Each jurisdictions can still subsidize local recreation efforts.
"It's hard for me to imagine that a program can be run for this kind of money," said Pulaski Mayor Gary Hancock. He also had reservations about setting up a full-blown recreation program in just a few months. White called the effort a starting point. "We've been discussing this for years and years."
In other matters, Pulaski County Administrator Joe Morgan predicted the cost of solid waste disposal would double or perhaps even triple by 1993 from its current rate of $30 per ton. "We're just seeing the tip of the iceberg in solid waste disposal," he told the gathering.
Morgan said over 29,600 tons of trash wound up in the county's interim landfill on Ingles Mountain in Radford last year. He said officials anticipate 10 percent less trash next year because of recycling.
Tipping charges will also rise in an effort to transfer disposal costs to landfill user fees, Morgan said. He said the New River Resource Authority budget has a deficit of about $50,000 because charges do not cover disposal costs.
Dublin Town Manager Gary Elander said if Dublin buys the former Burlington plant and truck terminal in Newbern, that some unimproved real estate in the tract could be subdivided and sold separately to finance the purchase. The town wants to renovate the plant for use by several smaller industries.
Burlington was asking $7.5 million for the property, but Elander said the firm had offered it to the town at less than its appraised value.
Supervisor White questioned the town's motivation in purchasing property outside its boundaries and suggested the town would be "skating on thin ice."
"I don't see it as a risk at all," said Keister. "I just want to see people back at work."
by CNB