Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, February 26, 1992 TAG: 9202260308
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By MARK LAYMAN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
BOARD REVERSES POWER-LINE VOTE
The Roanoke County Board of Supervisors crackled with dissent Tuesday over Appalachian Power Co.'s proposed 765,000-volt power line.The supervisors reversed their decision of two weeks ago and voted 4-1 to keep the county's "notice of protest" over the power line on file with the State Corporation Commission.
But because of a parliamentary maneuver by Supervisor Harry Nickens - who voted with the majority on Tuesday even though he thinks the county should stay out of the power-line fight - the issue will be back on the board's agenda on March 10.
At the board's last meeting, Supervisor Ed Kohinke had joined Nickens and Supervisor Bob Johnson in voting to withdraw the protest. But the next day, Kohinke - under pressure from fellow Mason Cove residents who oppose the power line - told Chairman Lee Eddy he wanted to switch his vote.
So, in anticipation of Tuesday's action, Eddy asked the county attorney not to withdraw the protest.
That caused sparks to fly Tuesday. Johnson and Nickens said they were shocked that Eddy had asked the county attorney to ignore the board's earlier vote.
Eddy explained that the county attorney didn't object, because the impact of Kohinke's flip-flop was clear.
Taking another tack, Johnson argued that the SCC couldn't care less what the Board of Supervisors thought about the power line. The supervisors might just as well take a stand on the Persian Gulf War, abortion or gun control, he said.
The only reason that Kohinke now wants to keep the protest on file is "1,300 voters [names] on a petition," he said.
When the roll was called, though, Johnson was the only one to vote to withdraw the protest.
Nickens sided with the majority - which, under Robert's Rules of Order, gave him the right to request that another vote be taken at the board's next meeting.
That's exactly what he did - an obvious poke at Kohinke.
Power-line opponent Jeff Janosko said afterward that the supervisors' antics were "amusing."
More seriously, he said, "It's a shame that one or two members of the board are so afraid of a large corporation that they'd vote against the people who put them in office."
Opponents understand that any action the supervisors take won't have much sway with the SCC. "But we want the symbolic support of our elected officials," Janosko said.
The power line, which would run from Wyoming County, W.Va., to Botetourt County, also is subject to approval by the West Virginia Public Service Authority.
By keeping the "notice of protest" on file, the supervisors reserve the right to formally comment on the power line. They have until May 18 to decide whether to oppose the power line outright.