ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, April 11, 1996 TAG: 9604110008
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: PULASKI
SOURCE: PAUL DELLINGER STAFF WRITER
The New Century Council is looking for partners, but the town of Pulaski first wants to know what such partnership involves.
It is looking for answers from the New River Valley Planning District Commission before deciding anything.
The Pulaski County School Board already has signed on as a partner, with the understanding that its only obligation is general support of New Century Council goals.
The New Century Council has asked government agencies in counties and cities to sign on as partners, and recently began asking towns as well. Originally, the idea was that towns would be represented by their counties, but Pulaski Town Councilman Roy D'Ardenne, who represents the town on the New River Valley Planning District Commission, made it clear to New Century representatives that counties do not speak for towns.
D'Ardenne, who heads a town committee looking into the partnership request, said he has concerns with some of the New Century vision statements. "The economic strategies very clearly focus on [Virginia] Tech and Roanoke, and that's it," he said.
He also opposes its idea of combining the two planning district commissions representing the New River and Roanoke valleys. "We have enough experience to know that's not going to float, because there are too many differences between the areas," he said.
But participation as a New Century partner could help the town if the New Century Council acts as an advocate for the region in Richmond, D'Ardenne said. "There's some merit here if we can, in fact, get the umbrella organization to represent the whole area on an equal basis," he said.
Pulaski Vice Mayor Rocky Schrader, at a meeting of the Pulaski committee last week, said Pulaski Town Council would need to know if there are any costs involved before making a decision. The town already is funding its own economic development department and participates in other regional groups.
"How much economic development can we afford?" Schrader said. "I don't think you can look at any of this without knowing the price."
Barry Matherly, the town's economic development director, said the New Century Council has received $600,000 from the state to fund its first three years of work.
That shows the organization already has gotten the attention of the state, D'Ardenne said. It could be a lobbying force for funding from the General Assembly for this region, which must compete with areas like Northern Virginia and Tidewater that already have potent lobbying power.
"When you look at the makeup of this group, you've got some pretty high-level horsepower there," he said. And most of the New Century leadership comes from the New River Valley.
That includes Pulaski County School Board member Ron Chaffin, who is chairman of the council's Education Committee; Dr. Carol Pratt, a Pulaski County dentist, chairwoman of its Health & Safety Committee, and New River Community College President Ed Barnes, chairman of its Leadership Committee.
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