Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, June 23, 1994 TAG: 9406240045
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV8 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: PAUL DELLINGER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PULASKI LENGTH: Medium
Pulaski Town Council voted 7-1 Tuesday to adopt its 1994-95 budget, which includes about $37,000 for Main Street. That covers what the program's board had requested for advertising and promotion, although it moves $30,000 for an executive director to another category.
The $30,000 will remain in abeyance until council decides whether it wants to create an economic development position of its own that would also cover the Main Street program.
John Stone, who will take his elected seat on council next month, has already been busy recruiting volunteers to serve on the planning committee he proposed several weeks ago.
Council accepted his recommendation for the committee to establish goals, strategies and objectives to lead the town into the next century through a broad determination of long-range economic goals. The committee also will recommend a job description for an economic development director.
Stone, who is the manager of the Comfort Inn in Dublin, has contacted all but a handful of a cross-section of the community for the committee. Wayne Carpenter, Hi Nicely, Debbie Jonas, Denny Pace, Paul Etzel, Karen Graham, Mark Wigginton, Phillip Baker, Doc Reagan, Chris Dux, Jim Sandidge, Don Copenhaver, Sybil Atkinson, Betsy Mabry, Owen McKinnie, and Martin's Pharmacy owner Eddie Hale, also an incoming council member, are among those who have agreed to serve so far.
Councilman Roy D'Ardenne moved that Stone's recommendations be approved except for the recommendation to hold all Main Street funds until council reviews the committee's recommendations.
Instead, D'Ardenne proposed that the Main Street funding be made available at once, except for the part that was to have funded an executive director position; that outgoing Mayor Gary Hancock be added to the committee; and that Stone be committee chairman.
D'Ardenne's motion passed with two dissenting votes, from Junior Black and outgoing council member Don Crispin. Crispin introduced a substitute motion to cut all funding to the Main Street program - after seven years, he said, "you've got to pull the plug sometime." He was the only one to vote for it.
Hancock said owners of the new businesses secured in downtown Pulaski in the past year had invested their money in the belief that the town would continue helping bring in potential customers.
"I don't think we can abandon these people," he said. "We're going to go back to where we were seven or eight years ago and see all these empty stores."
Crispin cast the lone dissenting vote against adopting the budget because of the Main Street funding and its inclusion of sewer rate increases.
It was the last regular meeting for Hancock, Crispin and Councilman Nick Glenn whose terms expire at the end of June.
Council passed a resolution honoring former Pulaski Police Chief E.J. Williams, who retired in May after 20 years with the department. Interviews are still under way with applicants for the position.
Council also approved 56 resolutions citing Pulaski County High School students who had achieved honor roll status, an initiative that had been suggested by Crispin more than a year ago. Four students accepted a council invitation to attend the meeting and receive their copies of the resolution in person.
by CNB