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Bath supervisors renew coyote bounty
BY CHARLES GARRATT • STAFF WRITER
WARM SPRINGS - After spending $45,000 over the past six years on coyote bounties and hearing experts Tuesday say bounties don't help control the four-legged canine pest, the Bath County Board of Supervisors reduced the bounty from $100 to $50 and voted to begin paying out bounties from the $5,000 transferred to the program last month.
The $10,000 budgeted to the program for fiscal 2007- 08 was all claimed by trappers and hunters in the first six months of the fiscal year. Last month, the board transferred an additional $5,000 into the bounty budget and set a hearing for this month to discuss adjusting the bounty.
Before the hearing, the board heard from Chad Fox, supervisor of the USDA Virginia Wildlife Services Coyote Program. "Your bounty probably isn't doing what you intend it to," Fox told the board. "You can't kill enough of them (coyotes)" to seriously impact the population, he added. The report he gave to board members showed coyote populations are still increasing in the state.
Fox administers the program to help farmers suffering losses from coyote predation of livestock. Through his program farmers can receive onsite consulting on ways to deal with coyote problems and paid trappers will help eliminate problem coyotes from farms.
One handout provided by Fox listed two benefits and nine detriments or shortcomings of bounty programs. The two benefits were recognized by supervisors - providing an outward display of helping constituents and distribution of money to community members.
Supervisor Stuart Hall talked about some of his own experiences with coyotes on his farm and asked Fox directly, "It's (coyote bounty) not going to help control coyotes?"
Fox responded the program would not help.
Some citizens disagreed with the effectiveness of the program during and about changing the bounty. The Mountain Grove area has been helped by the bounties, said Mitchelltown resident Carl Chestnut. He said the farm he hunts and works on there lost three calves, two-and-a-half years ago. Since the bounty, it hasn't lost any. "This is helping," said Chestnut. "Let the bounty stay for another year."
Animal control officer Robbie Chestnut listed the county expenses for the program over the past six years. The numbers have grown each year since 2002, he said, and total $45,300.
Supervisor Richard Byrd offered a different perspective. "There is nothing we do that stops everything," Byrd said. "We never stopped crime. Just because we put money into a program doesn't mean we eradicate the problem."
The bounty program is "helping the people that get helped the least," Byrd said of the people in Mountain Grove. "It made those people feel like we helped them. I support the program."
Chairman Jon Trees recommended a bounty of $25. Hall offered a compromise of $50. The board voted 5-0 to set the bounty at $50 and change the language in the ordinance so the amount of the bounty and the budget line item for the program could be changed without a public hearing.
County falling down on dilapidated
structures
Chestnut presented supervisors with photos of several buildings in poor condition he described as public health hazards. One building in Mitchelltown has "rats as big as cats," he said.
Another in Thomastown has six feet of water in the basement and presents a drowning hazard to neighborhood children. The county said it was going to do something about the buildings three years ago, Chestnut said.
Thomastown home owner Lutretia Fuentes added to the complaints voiced by Chestnut. She renewed her pledge made last month to be at every meeting until something is done about the dangerous buildings in her neighborhood. She said her neighbors laughed at her when she told them she was going to the county to get something done. "They've been promised something would be done many times before."
Fuentes said the only solution for some of the old, abandoned structures is for them to be burned or torn down. She also complained about junk cars and air conditioners stored on a business property.
Byrd said he would take care of the business property complaint. Trees said the board is currently working to give the building inspector and zoning administrator authority to take care of the dilapidated housing problem.
Supervisor Percy Nowlin said the county had received bids a few years back to demolish structures but could not afford the $30,000 per structure bid. Fuentes and other citizens said a Clifton Forge contractor had removed buildings in that town for $6,000 each.
Trees assured Fuentes the problem would be taken care of.
Dates set for equalization
David Hickey of Blue Ridge Mass Appraisal was unable to attend the board meeting Tuesday due to threatening weather. He was scheduled to provide an update on the countywide reassessment.
During the hearing scheduled before the board set dates for the board of equalization, citizens strongly questioned whether Hickey's employees had complete site visits and whether Blue Ridge would have the required meetings with landowners.
Kenny Lindsay said, "I haven't seen anybody at my house." He said this appraisal was going to be like last time when citizens complained no one visited their property.
Trees said property owners should challenge Blue Ridge for proof of visitation. "They have to provide you when they were there and show you pictures and three like sales," Trees said.
Byrd told county administrator Bonnie Johnson to make sure Hickey advertises those meetings. Byrd said he knows what Blue Ridge is supposed to do and the board will make sure it is done.
Trees said the board will look at the appraisal by Blue Ridge "with a magnifying glass." But he asked citizens to go to the hearings, and challenge the appraisers. "If they haven't been there, we need to know," he said.
Notices of new appraisals are scheduled for mailing on Feb. 22 with hearings with the appraisers to begin on the following Monday. The board set dates for the Board of Equalization to begin April 25 and close on June 13.
In other action:
• Trees told VDOT resident engineer Susan Hammond "how much we appreciate what your crews did this weekend" during the high wind event. Hammond said crews continue doing tree removal and brush removal, some scheduled and some from the weekend storm.
• Robbie Chestnut reported the Bath County animal shelter is one of only five such facilities out of 23 in the state to have more returns and adoptions of dogs than the number put down in the past year. This is the first year since 1995 when he joined the department that goal has been achieved.
• The board approved a fireworks permit for the recreation department's Fourth of July fireworks display and awarded a contract to Dominion Fireworks for $5,000 as low bidder. Recreation director Mark Nelson told the board bids were higher this year because the fourth falls on a Friday.
• The board sent a public hearing on the six-year secondary road plan for the March 11 meeting. The board tabled indefinitely setting a public hearing on the proposed change to the land use regulations allowing equine as a conditional use in residential zoning districts.
• As the ten o'clock hour approached, Hall made a motion to suspend the agenda and continue the meeting until Feb. 26. The board will meet at 6 p.m. Monday, Feb. 18 with the school board. The regular meeting and agenda will resume at 7 p.m. Feb. 26 in room 115 of the courthouse.
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