Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, March 26, 1992 TAG: 9203260383
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: W-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: LESLIE TAYLOR STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Members of the Virginia Referendum Advocates notified council by letter on Monday that they would not participate.
"It is clear to us that the committee was appointed as a belated response to the Aug. 26, 1991 VRA request for a binding referendum on the proposed Salem municipal pool," committee members wrote.
"The committee appointment is, by all appearances, a political ploy being used by City Council members to avoid a public decision on the pool referendum prior to the upcoming City Council election."
Two weeks ago, council appointed five people to the committee - David Robbins, Clarence Caldwell, Gary Smith, City Planner Joe Yates and a member to be chosen by the advocates. The group had hedged on selecting one of its members to serve on the committee.
Catherine Wells, one of the advocacy group's three members, said Monday that the council-appointed committee would not serve the group's interests. The only issue the advocacy group has pressed is a referendum for any municipal pool proposed by council, she said. That request was made to council last August, she said.
Another advocate member, Aaron Smith, had raised the mayoral election issue by filing a lawsuit last year requesting that a special election be held to amend the city charter to allow the popular election of the mayor. The mayor currently is elected by council.
A judge dismissed the petition.
"They choose to work outside the system rather inside it. It's that simple," Councilman Alex Brown said. Brown called the advocates' withdrawal from the committee a "publicity stunt."
Council appointed Emerson Gilmer to the spot rejected by the advocates. Gilmer is former head of the Community Awareness Council, a civic organization in Salem.
Wells said the advocates intend to attend any public meetings of the committee.
In another matter, council referred to City Manager Randy Smith a request from Dolores C. Smith to allocate $985 for a historic highway marker at East Hill cemetery.
The marker would acknowledge that Sgt. James M. Walton, a Salem citizen who is documented as having fired the last Confederate shot at Appomattox Courthouse on April 9, 1865, was buried at East Hill.
Smith, president of the Salem chapter of Daughters of the Confederacy, said the marker would offer a "major opportunity to preserve history."
Council directed the city manager to study Smith's request and, if warranted, use money from the cemetery maintenance fund for the highway marker.
In other business, council:
Agreed to give $15,000 to the Virginia State Games, a summer amateur athletic event held annually throughout the Roanoke Valley. Roanoke County has given $25,000 plus a full-time employee for five months. Roanoke has given $30,000 and has donated the services of Laban Johnson, the city's special events coordinator.
The event last year had a valleywide economic impact of $4.5 million, Mayor Jim Taliaferro said.
Adopted a resolution asking the Virginia Department of Transportation and Norfolk Southern Corp. to install additional crossing gates at the McClelland Street entrance to Timber Truss.
A Roanoke man was killed at the crossing last December when his van was struck by an NS train.
Gave final approval to an ordinance amendment banning dogs, cats and other animals from school grounds.
by CNB