Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, March 23, 1995 TAG: 9503230070
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-7 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: B. LYNN WILLIAMS CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: PEARISBURG LENGTH: Medium
Tuesday night, the board heard County Engineer Jerry Mabry recommend waiving the fee for a few holdout customers until the new Public Service Authority comes online. Several property owners have refused to provide an easement for the PSA line to cross their land unless that fee is waived, he said.
According to Mabry, the easement issue must be resolved by April 2 with permissions in hand or condemnation proceedings under way to comply with the grant schedule.
Supervisor Bobby Compton urged his colleagues to support Mabry's recommendation to waive the fees, saying it would be cheaper in the long run, instead of taking court action.
Shaking his head, Supervisor Jay Williams said the board was ``asking for problems'' if they waived a nonuser fee for these residents. If it is done here, supervisors ``will be held hostage everywhere you go'' with other small water systems, as customers try to bargain to avoid hooking on to the PSA.
Eventually most county residents, as well as people living in towns, will be required to hook on to the system unless they pay a nonuser fee, which has yet to be set. Ram/Wayside residents are among the first to be affected by creation of the PSA. Citizen Ernie Miller wanted to know who would set the nonuser fee. Supervisor George Hedrick responded that it was the board's responsibility.
``You start waiving that fee, you open up a can of worms,'' Williams cautioned, in a final comment.
After more discussion, the board decided not to set a fee for the Ram/Wayside nonusers. They asked Mabry to continue negotiations with hold-out property-owners for the easements.
In other business, supervisors voted to ask the contractor working on closing the ``old'' 7.4 acres of the landfill at Wilburn Valley to develop a plan to control the leachate seeping from it.
Williams questioned the cost of the clay cap - estimated at about $40,000, including engineering costs - necessary to control the problem. Compton responded that the matter had to be addressed quickly before it becomes more serious.
``It's like a leak in a house, if you don't fix it, it gets worse and worse,'' he said.
The board also:
Learned that France Whitt's request for rezoning part of Riverbend subdivision had been withdrawn.
Accepted the low bid of more than $17,000 for building a basement under a newly acquired building at Castle Rock Recreation area.
Listened to Williams say the PSA expects to take over all solid waste and recycling in the county and towns by July 1.
Spent almost three hours in executive session to discuss contracts, personnel and property at Hoges Chapel. After leaving the session, the board approved filling an EMT position and some employee training.
Memo: ***CORRECTION***