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

DATE: WEDNESDAY, June 30, 1993                   TAG: 9306300203
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-3   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: GREG EDWARDS STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG                                LENGTH: Medium

BOARD DELAYS PANEL APPOINTMENT; BUSINESSMAN'S LATE TAXES CITED

The Montgomery County Board of Supervisors on Monday delayed reappointment of Blacksburg businessman Joe Draper to the U.S. 460/Virginia 114 Corridor Planning Advisory Council because of a delinquent tax bill that was owed by Draper's engineering firm, Draper Aden Associates.

After a closed-door session Monday night, the supervisors made a long list of appointments to various county boards and commissions. Appointees are required to be registered county voters and to have paid their county taxes.

In May, Draper was reappointed to the county Planning Commission, but it was later discovered that Draper Aden had not paid several hundred dollars in personal property taxes that had been due in December. The company paid those taxes after the matter became public earlier this month.

The firm's $2,054 real estate tax bill that held up Draper's appointment Monday night was due on June 5. The company paid the bill Tuesday morning, according to County Treasurer Ellis Meredith.

Draper, whose firm holds the engineering contract for improvements to the county landfill, couldn't be reached for comment.

Although Draper's appointment was held open, the board reappointed James E. Martin and Richard B. Sullivan to the corridor council.

Other appointments were: Arnold Saari to the New River Valley Community College Board; Jean Bourne, reappointed to the Community Services Board and appointed to the Social Services Board; Judy Cole and Dan Fleming to the Human Services Commission; James F. Johnson and Sarah J. "Sally" Mackie to the Library Board.

In other late action, Monday:

County Administrator Betty Thomas reported that proposals were due Monday afternoon from architecture firms interested in a design contract for a new county Health and Human Services building. Currently, the Health and Social Services departments are in two separate buildings.

Thomas said Tuesday that eight proposals were received for the design contract. The building is tentatively planned for property the county owns on Pepper Street behind the present Social Services Building.

Thomas said the board would receive a recommendation at its July 26 meeting on which firm should receive the contract.

The board awarded a $22,738 contract to Fishburne Drilling Co. to perform a geological study of the Mid-County Landfill. The study is required by the state Department of Environmental Quality.

by CNB