Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, June 19, 1990 TAG: 9006190322
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER MUNICIPAL WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The committee also approved $1.7 million to continue pre-construction engineering and design of the Buena Vista flood-control plan.
Rep. Jim Olin, D-Roanoke, said Monday he was pleased by the committee's action because "securing the funding for these projects has been a No. 1 priority for me."
Funding for the two projects are included in the energy and water-development appropriation bill. The full House may act on the legislation this week.
President Bush included $2.3 million in construction money for the Roanoke River project in his proposed federal budget for the next fiscal year, but only $600,000 for the Buena Vista project.
Olin had urged the Appropriations Committee to provide $1.7 million for pre-construction engineering and design for Buena Vista, nearly three times the amount Bush had budgeted.
"I am especially pleased with the appropriation of $1.7 million for Buena Vista. Since we were able to convince the Appropriations Committee to allot $1 million more, the entire project can be expedited," Olin said.
Congress had approved $200,000 in construction money for the Roanoke River project in this fiscal year.
The initial appropriation was only a fraction of the $20 million of federal money needed for the $34.3 million project. But city officials had said earlier that the first appropriation was significant because Congress never has failed to fund such a project once it has started appropriating construction money.
The city's share of the $34.3 million cost is $14.3 million. City voters approved a $7.5 million bond issue last year to help pay the city's share. The remaining $6.8 million will come from several sources: earlier appropriations, land donations and state recreation funds.
by CNB