ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, November 13, 1996 TAG: 9611130052
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG
SOURCE: KATHY LOAN STAFF WRITER
Three more offices have moved into Montgomery County's new Health and Human Services building, but the space designed for the Department of Social Services remains vacant as rent negotiation continues.
The Office on Youth, the Human Services Commission and the Information and Referral offices moved to the Pepper Street building last week. The Retired Senior Volunteer Program office will move in soon.
"Listen, we're delighted. We couldn't be happier," Stephania Munson, human services director, said. "We're very pleased. We've been cramped for so long."
Munson oversees the directors of the Office on Youth and the RSVP, the information and referral system and special projects staff.
The offices were in the Courthouse Annex, which Munson describes as "a very quaint building that has been refurbished over and over."
The RSVP staff will move to the Pepper Street building after finishing work this week on a volunteer recognition program.
Information and Referral will be in the building's front lobby. The other offices are in the building's basement.
Munson looks forward to having Social Services, the Health Department and her offices centrally located for clients. She said the building could house as many as 150 employees when all the departments are in place.
Meanwhile, there's been no resolution to an impasse among the county Board of Supervisors, the state and local Department of Social Services.
The building was constructed primarily with money from a 1993 bond referendum and was designed to house the county's health and social services departments. The Health Department recently signed a lease for its 12,000 square feet. But Social Services has been in a holding pattern as it tries to come up with rent for its 12,000 square feet.
The state created a shortfall when it refused to pay a higher rent for the new building. Now county and social services officials must decide how or whether the difference will be made up.
A committee of two county supervisors and two representatives of the local social services board met Oct. 31.
Supervisor Jim Moore said there wasn't much new to report but "we're making progress." He'll brief the Board of Supervisors on the matter at tonight's meeting.
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