BOTETOURT OFFICER PROPOSAL SENT TO BUDGET COMMITTEE

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, February 20, 1992                   TAG: 9202200607
SECTION: NEIGHBORS                    PAGE: N-6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: MARK MORRISON
DATELINE: FINCASTLE                                LENGTH: Medium
BOTETOURT OFFICER PROPOSAL SENT TO BUDGET COMMITTEE
A proposal to bring back Botetourt County's ordinance enforcement officer was sent to a budget committee for further study by the Board of Supervisors at its monthly meeting Tuesday.
At the same time, the supervisors asked Botetourt Sheriff Reed Kelly to more aggressively enforce county laws, such as the noise and illegal dumping ordinances.
The supervisors are considering reinstating the enforcement officer, a position left vacant more than a year ago in what boiled down essentially to a trade with former Sheriff Norman Sprinkle.
Citing state budget cuts and a growing county population, Sprinkle said he could not afford to spare one of his deputies for the school DARE program as he had done previously. So, rather than lose the DARE officer, the board decided to transfer its enforcement officer over to Sprinkle.
Then last month, the board authorized County Administrator John Williamson to advertise that the position may be opening up again. Williamson said Tuesday that he has received about six responses.
He also reported that the annual cost of supporting a local ordinance officer would be $35,800 after salary, a car and benefits were included. The budget committee will now determine if the county can absorb that cost and return a recommendation to the supervisors in March or April.
In other business, the board agreed to phase out use of the county animal shelter and enter into an agreement with the Roanoke Valley SPCA to lease space at its Roanoke shelter by March 1.
The lease will cost the county about $1,600 a month, or roughly what it costs now to maintain the county shelter, Williamson said. But it will save the county on upgrading the facility and result in a better use of animal-control personnel, Williamson said.
A rezoning request by Paul and Lee Fitzgerald to allow for a 32-unit townhouse development on seven acres off Virginia 606 just outside Fincastle was withdrawn.

by Bhavesh Jinadra by CNB