COUNCIL SAYS LIBRARY TOO IMPORTANT TO CUT

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, January 16, 1992                   TAG: 9201160187
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-7   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: STEVE KARK CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: PEARISBURG                                LENGTH: Medium
COUNCIL SAYS LIBRARY TOO IMPORTANT TO CUT
Town Council unanimously decided this week to tell state representatives it opposes Gov. Douglas Wilder's 50 percent cut in state aid to public libraries.
Town Manager Ken Vittum said the cuts, if adopted, would trim the $24,000 the town now receives each year to about $11,500 for each of the next two years. Displaying a graph showing state library funds declining over the last few years, Vittum said that "when the governor says we will be cut 50 percent we might expect that it will actually be more if we look at what has happened in the past.
"We feel that the cuts will have a detrimental effect on our services," he said. "I would like to see the library open more hours as opposed to less."
In other matters, council also agreed to spend $26,000 for two new 1992 Ford Crown Victorias for the Police Department. Because of serious maintenance problems on the used state police cars the town now uses, council decided last year to gradually replace them with new cars.
Police Chief William Whitsett, whose own state car was destroyed by fire last year, said both new cars will be used exclusively for patrol. The cars should be ready for service in approximately 90 days, he said.
In another matter, Vittum said County Administrator Ken Weaver told him the county supervisors will not determine the future use for the King Johnston School property until they have reviewed a report on possible uses being prepared by a consulting group from Virginia Tech. That report should be ready later this month, he said.
The Town of Pearisburg would like to acquire the property to use as a recreational facility for town and county residents. But because council members were concerned that the supervisors may be considering alternate uses for it, Town Attorney James Hartley advised that Mayor C.J. Taylor express the town's position in a letter to supervisors Chairman Bobby Compton.
And finally, after meeting in executive session for one hour, council authorized Vittum to enter into a contract with Architectural Alternatives of Blacksburg for engineering and architectural work on the Downtown Improvement Project.
The $700,000 project will be paid for through a community development block grant provided by the Department of Housing and Community Development.
Council also announced that it will hold a public hearing on the project at its next meeting on Feb. 11.

by Archana Subramaniam by CNB