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In brief . . .
Bath County Supervisors
¦ Extension agent Rodney Leech told the Bath board Tuesday there was "good news and bad news" regarding drought conditions in the county. The best news, he said, was the four inches of rain received recently. The bad side of things was the county did not receive an grant for agricultural water practices. The hay situation is serious, he noted, with prices high. Farmers should be culling herds to top producers and taking other steps to reduce feed cost. His office is available to help farmers, he told the board.
¦ VDOT engineer Susan Hammond reported the bridge on Route 635 is completed and the detour signs should have come down on Wednesday. The bridge will be closed for another half-day for pavement grooving, but that should be all the delays now that construction is completed. She responded to a number of questions from supervisors on road maintenance. Hammond reported her office had received three environmental permits in recent weeks allowing repairs to begin on Route 39 near Mountain Grove and other sites.
¦ After a public hearing, the board of supervisors approved changes to the solid waste ordinance to increase fees for the disposal of construction waste. A sliding scale based on income was authorized to reduce the impact of fees on residential and small business construction projects by lowincome residents. The changes will go into effect Jan. 1.
¦ County administrator Bonnie Johnson reported excellent progress on the E-911 building. She presented a list of change orders provided by Lionberger Construction. The need for changes was discovered in the process of removing walls and materials in the old building being expanded. The board authorized supervisor Stuart Hall to approve change orders. The building should be completed by May 15, 2008 at a total cost of $252,500 excluding an additional cost of change orders.
¦ The board accepted the resignation of Elmer Mines from the Rockbridge Area Community Services Board. The board asked Johnson to search for a citizen willing to serve on the board to complete the term. The board also reappointed supervisor Percy Nowlin to a three-year seat on the board.
¦ At the request of commissioner of the revenue Leta Norfleet, the board directed County Attorney Mike Collins petition the circuit court judge for a 90-day extension to the time allowed for the countywide reassessment. The extension is necessary to complete field work and hearings in March.
¦ Supervisors appointed Capt. Richard Armstrong to chair a sesquicentennial committee for the American Civil War to act as liaison to the statewide committee. Chairman Gliff Gilchrest noted the event was a commemoration not a celebration and would occur in 2011-15, 150 years after the war.
¦ Johnson told the board the VPI&SU Extension Office has notified the county she will be filling a family consumer sciences agent position currently vacant. The position serves Bath and Rockbridge counties. The new agent will be based in Bath. Johnson said Butterfield is seeking candidates interested in the position.
¦ Board members approved a budget calendar for the coming year with the provision the new board taking office in January may change the calendar as necessary.
¦ Supervisors authorized Johnson to apply for a Wireless Board grant of up to $150,000 to update and correct tax maps and store the information in the GIS database. A local match of 20 percent would likely be required and the board approved matching the grant.
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