Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, March 19, 1992 TAG: 9203190200
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: STEVE KARK CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: PEARISBURG LENGTH: Medium
Earlier this week the county Board of Supervisors unanimously agreed to chip in $4,556 for the study, which will be conducted by the New River Valley Planning District Commission.
The board made its decision after Bob Lloyd of the Regional Jail Study Board told the supervisors that the county would be unable to use the regional jail, except at a per prisoner charge, unless it agreed to participate in the study.
Lloyd told the supervisors that the cost of renovating and upgrading the county's 60-year-old jail could turn out to be more expensive than participating in the regional project.
"It costs about 2 1/2 times more to keep a prisoner in jail for one day than it does to educate a child for the same amount of time," he said. "The cost of operating a jail is deplorable, way past what is reasonable."
On the other hand, he said, the Piedmont Regional Jail, which has been in existence for four years, is now operating with a $900,000 surplus because it is large enough to take prisoners - and the additional holding fees - from outside its region. The regional jail also makes money by operating a canteen, a work farm and a work-release program, he said.
Of the original $2.2 million to $2.4 million spent by each of the six counties who use the jail, none has had to spend another dollar on the jail since it opened, he said.
Lloyd told the supervisors that after assessing the needs for the regional jail, the study also will consider engineering and site selection for the facility.
If the participating localities decide to go ahead with the regional jail when the study is finished in June, the proposal would go first to the State Corrections Board and then the state legislature for final approval.
In other matters, the supervisors unanimously approved a resolution to authorize County Administrator Ken Weaver to sign the applications for grants of $700,000 from the Economic Development Administration and $500,000 from the Appalachian Regional Commission. It would be used for the first phase of a county-wide water project.
In addition, the towns of Rich Creek, Glen Lyn and Narrows are joint applicants for $2.1 million in Community Development Block Grant funds.
The grant money will be used to cover the $3.3 million cost of the first phase of the project, which will connect those towns to the Pearisburg water supply.
Supervisors Samuel "Ted" Timberlake and Jay Williams argued that representation on the Public Service Authority should be by district, with one supervisor representing each of the three districts in the county.
The board passed the proposal 4-1, with only Chairman Bobby Compton opposing because he believed that Supervisor Herbert "Hub" Brown's earlier appointment would be adequate to ensure fair representation for the whole county.
Finally, the supervisors also announced that a public hearing on the fate of the King Johnston School property will be held on April 7 at 5:30 p.m. at the regular monthly meeting of the supervisors.
by CNB