Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, April 27, 1990 TAG: 9004270552
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: RICK LINDQUIST SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES & WORLD-NEWS
DATELINE: DUBLIN LENGTH: Medium
Last June, the town put on hold an effort to incorporate about six square miles of Pulaski County after county residents and several county officials voiced vigorous - and occasionally angry - opposition during a public informational meeting.
After that session, the Pulaski County supervisors unanimously voted to leave the boundary lines alone, saying they saw no justification to proceed further.
But Thursday, Town Administrator Gary Elander offered a less-confrontational approach. He suggested a series of talks between a three-member council committee and a similar panel representing the county "to see if there are some areas of agreement."
"This is similar to the very successful negotiating technique used by Roanoke City and Roanoke County," Elander said.
If the Dublin initiative is successful, the two parties would hold closed talks and return with a draft report within six months.
Elander's proposal cited "direct economic benefits that can accrue to the county and the town" as a result of a boundary change.
The resolution pointed out that Dublin provides water and sewer services to many county residents and serves "more citizens outside the town limits than within."
Town residents "actually subsidize the cost of [utility] service to county residents," he said. Town officials made the same claim during last year's discussions.
Elander said state law "encourages and provides a mechanism for voluntary agreements between towns and counties . . . without costly annexation litigation."
Asked by council member David Stanley if he had first talked with county officials "to see if this is going to fly on the other side," Elander said, "The county is anticipating some action."
"The Board of Supervisors has been expecting this since June of last year," said council member Patsy Akers, who spearheaded the town's earlier attempt. "They have suggested that we do this, on several occasions."
Akers had headed the Dublin Boundary Change Study Steering Committee, which spent about $16,000 and 18 months investigating the change.
The prime annexation target then included the Virginia 100 interchange of Interstate 81, Exit 32, where a shopping center is to be built. The area includes an upscale residential neighborhood.
Since that time, the town - under Elander's urging - also has begun talks aimed at purchasing the former Burlington Industries plant, located in the same vicinity just outside town limits.
by CNB