Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, October 12, 1993 TAG: 9310120106
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: MICHAEL STOWE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
Blacksburg was still a winner.
The town was one of two state localities to win the President's Award, the VML's top honor, which is presented to programs that exemplify the true spirt of entrepreneurial government.
The competition's judges decided on a tie between Blacksburg and Hampton.
Traditionally, the VML has handed out roughly 25 achievement awards each year for specific programs instituted by local governments.
Last year, Blacksburg - recognized for the Police Department's electronic magistrate program, the South Main Street landscape project and the campus bikeway system - was the only locality to win three awards.
This year, however, new categories were created based on the population of the locality rather than the subject of the entry, and only five awards were presented.
The President's Award was the only competition that included all local governments, regardless of size.
Town officials will receive the award next week at the Municipal League conference in Richmond. The winners were featured in the October issue of Virginia Town & City.
"We are very proud to be one of the first winners of this award," said Bonnie Svrcek, assistant town manager for Blacksburg.
The league cited the town's leaf collection program and new downtown token parking program as examples of innovative government.
The token program, developed jointly with the Downtown Merchants Association, enables businesses to purchase parking tokens that give customers 24 minutes of free parking.
The town also was lauded for continually seeking town input with its quarterly opinion surveys.
"The town of Blacksburg continues to display a customer focus and a mission-driven culture that sets itself apart," said the magazine article. "If as they say `success breeds success' then the town of Blacksburg can look forward to an especially bright future."
Blacksburg Mayor Roger Hedgepeth said the award "certainly speaks well for the community" and is a credit to the work done by Town Manager Ron Secrist and all of the town's employees.
by CNB