Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, June 27, 1995 TAG: 9506270075
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DAN CASEY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The 6-1 vote clears the way for bids to go out on the project, which would turn the old high school's auto repair training shop into a 400-seat banquet hall that can be rented inexpensively for weddings and other receptions.
``What this does in a nutshell is put that building on a sound financial basis,'' said banker Warner Dalhouse, who serves on the Jefferson Center Foundation. That organization has overseen millions of dollars in renovations at the center in recent years.
``It'll be self-supporting. It assures that we'll never be down here seeking an operating subsidy,'' Dalhouse added.
The organization lobbied council for the funding as long ago as February. The money is coming from the city's general fund, rather than through the capital budget planning process, as most building and renovation projects are. That is what most bothered Councilman William White, who voted against it.
In the capital budget process, proposals for worthy building and renovation projects are collected, evaluated, ranked against each other and funded depending on how much money is available.
Sometimes it takes years before a proposal rises to the top of the list.
White said that while he supports the Jefferson Center, it's wrong to jump Fitzpatrick Hall ahead of dozens of other proposals.
``What we're doing is ... unfair, unreasonable, and I think we're doing 99,000 citizens of the city a disservice,'' he said. ``You can't ask me as a member of council to turn my back on other members of the community.''
Both Councilman Mac McCadden and Councilwoman Linda Wyatt agreed that the process was wrong. But council committed itself to funding the project during budget study in May when it directed City Manager Bob Herbert to find money for it, they said in explaining their ``yes'' votes.
Dalhouse argued that the project differs from other capital projects because the banquet hall will bring in $100,000 annually, an estimate he called ``conservative.''
``We're not asking for an expenditure from which no money is returned,'' he said. ``We're asking for an investment rather than an expenditure. In six years, you'll have your money back.''
However, that argument infuriated at least one person.
Gainsboro resident Evelyn Bethel arose later in the meeting and said Dalhouse was suggesting that other, non-money-producing expenditures by council were less worthy than so-called ``investments'' like he was proposing.
``We're providing money for places for people to get married in, and to come down and have parties,'' Bethel said after the meeting. ``They could have spread that money throughout a lot of services.''
It's unlikely that Monday's visit to council will be the last for the Jefferson Center Foundation. Dalhouse said in February that it needs another $3.5 million from the city toward a $5.5 million overhaul of the former school's acoustically near-perfect auditorium.
by CNB