THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, April 16, 1995 TAG: 9504140149
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Long : 143 lines
King Cotton is coming back to Virginia! This year should to be a banner one for the fiber.
The proposed ``Suffolk Cotton Gin,'' Virginia's fourth, hopefully will alleviate the glut on existing facilities. The quantum increase in acreage certainly necessitates its timely completion. The local producers, as well as farmers from as far as the Eastern Shore of Virginia, northeast North Carolina and Chesapeake, are also counting on it being completed on time.
The new gin will be strategically located in Holland, an agribusiness community, which hosted two cotton gins previously until the boll weevil put them out of business.
Unlike the previous facilities, this one will be erected in accordance with the latest EPA Guidelines, which should alleviate any environmental concerns. Moreover, the emergency water storage will be available for fire fighting, a great asset to a community lacking fire hydrants.
Hats off to Morris Glover Sr. who, with his team, had the foresight to spearhead this complex and arduous development. However, a major milestone remains to be passed - Suffolk City Council's seal of approval.
I urge you to join me and others at 7 p.m. Wednesday in City Council Chambers to support this vital project.
Phil Wyne
Elwood Road
Suffolk Fire risk of ginning should be considered
Since the cotton gin proposed for Holland is a hot topic, we should consider the leaves, stems, seed husks, weeds and cotton lint that come out of the ginning process.
Fire is a major problem. Sometimes, a spark is struck in the ginning process, and pieces of trash are ignited and blown into the waste pile. There it smolders undetected until the fire breaks through the surface. Other fires are caused by spontaneous combustion.
A ginner told me that when he went into the ginning business, six of the seven waste piles burned. Eventually, the state of Texas required him to move his gin waste daily. A mayor in another major cotton state told me that the fire truck had been to the local gin 15 times this last ginning season.
Every gin may not have that kind of track record, but fire is a real and present danger at cotton gins. Fire Marshal H.R. Parker, in his report to the Planning Department, said: ``Fires associated with cotton handling and processing are likely to happen and are difficult to control and extinguish. Such fires require extinguishing agents and produce large volumes of smoke and toxic gas that could affect nearby residents.''
``Gin Waste,'' a booklet written by a team of leading USDA researchers, states, ``Dry trash piles and those where surfactants are not used to insure complete wetting have a higher risk of containing fires that may have been ignited in the harvesting or ginning process or in other ways.''
The developers' attorney told the Suffolk Planning Commission that the only water they were going to use was for bathroom facilities. Are we to assume they plan to leave the pile dry? The attorney also said the waste would be stockpiled on site and be removed within 90 days. From what?
If they mean 90 days from completion of ginning season, the trash would be there six or seven months. How much trash? A successful ginning season could produce 4,000 tons.
With all the homes nearby, we dare not take this fire risk. Call your council members and ask them please to deny this rezoning for the cotton gin.
Byron McCreary
South Quay Road
Suffolk Gin would be an asset to entire community
Regarding the April 13 letter to the editor in favor of the proposed cotton gin in Holland: This letter was signed by 27 other people in favor of the gin and the letter's contents, but their names were not published.
When I called The Sun and talked to editor John Pruitt, he said there was no room to publish all the names. I feel this is a careless disregard of the Constitutional right of free speech.
That same edition included letters that had been printed April 9 because some people did not get a Suffolk Sun on April 9. That could have been handled with an apology, not a reprint. The names on the April 13 letter would have taken much less space.
As a farmer's wife, I am proud to say I support the gin and the proposed site. I can only hope our City Council will feel the same way. Not all Holland residents are opposed to what could be a great asset to the Holland community and its neighbors.
Carol T. Johnson
Indian Trail
Suffolk Validating position
Your editorial April 13 summarized beautifully the human issues involved in the placement of both the cotton gin and the racetrack in their proposed locations.
The voice of a prominent newspaper rightly points out that the growth of a city does not need to disregard the concerns and feelings of its citizenry. Your editorial points out that every means does not justify its end, if the end disregards the human element.
Your editorial validates the human issue that should be a strong component of Suffolk's growth and development.
Eleanor McC. Powell
Suffolk
Editor's note: Two others also signed this letter. Look very carefully at city budget figures
You are to be commended for stories on the proposed 1995-96 operating budget. I also congratulate citizens who study the budget to see where their tax dollars are being spent - wasted, in many instances.
Pay attention to the number of city employees in the $50,000-$70,000 range. Call your council members and have them explain why the increase in cost, large salary increases, etc.
Further, I would caution citizens that what you see is not necessarily what it means. Under ``1995-96 Recommended,'' for instance, the salaries for all positions remain the same as 1994-95. Add 4 percent to see what is recommended. A budget sheet for the city manager listed his salary for 1994-95 as $78,000, the same amount of the 1995-96 recommendation. Left is $7,500 the city pays for his Individual Contribution to Municipal Account, tax-free. The ICMA is similar to a Keogh savings plan.
The city is not this gracious to others in this program. It comes from their salaries and wages and is subject to federal and state taxes. Another perk is a car allowance of $4,800 in 1995-96. The city manager receives $89,400, plus other perks.
Another cost factor you will not find without thoroughly examining the budget is the 30-34 percent fringe benefit package paid to all city employees. Therefore, the total cost for the present position is more than $117,000.
City Council has a $10,000 increase in two years for dues and association memberships - $7,000 increase in 1994-95, and $3,000 for 1995-96. What groups cost this?
Debt service payment increase, $447,990; fleet management, $1,118,131; Personnel Department, $58,986; Economic Development, $50,190 increase; Inspection Department, $30,000 for part-time and overtime for 1995-96, not counting new employees.
These excesses you will find throughout the budget. Before you know it, you have added $7.8 million to the budget. And we cannot find funds to provide water and sewerage to the citizens of Suffolk?
When will council face the fact that Suffolk is a rural community, not of the configuration of those we always want to compete with in salaries and wages. Let us compete with rural communities with like characteristics.
Talmadge C. Jones
Harbor Road
Suffolk by CNB