Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, July 11, 1994 TAG: 9407110151
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Jan Vertefeuille Staff Writer
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Sometimes Robertson has to go back and research things that Craig would have known off the top of his head, but he says Craig kept the staff well-informed.
"It wasn't like Cliff had all this stuff just in his head," Robertson said. "It's not like all that information left with Cliff."
Robertson, a Franklin County native, worked for Roanoke County from 1981 until 1988. He left the county's employ as assistant utility director to go to Lumsden Associates as director of engineering. In December, he returned to work for the county as Craig's assistant again.
Even during the five years Robertson worked elsewhere, he talked nearly weekly with Craig about the Spring Hollow Reservoir, because the engineering firm Robertson worked for was working on the county's water transmission lines. That contact helped.
"Our water and sewer system is unique enough you don't just pick that up overnight," he said.
Craig wanted an assistant on board in December, because "it was his intention to practically live at the [water treatment] plant during construction."
Robertson agreed to come back to the same position he left, in large part for the challenge of working with Craig on the reservoir and treatment plant.
"Not a lot of people can work on a project of this size in their career," he said. "It's the largest professional challenge of my career.
"When Cliff interviewed me, he asked what my goals were," he said. "I feel somewhat guilty, but I told him one day I wanted to be utility director. I never intended or wanted it to happen this quick, and never under these circumstances."
Even after the plant is approved and built, there still will be the challenge of phasing it into the existing water system.
"There's definitely a lot of things to balance," he said.
Memo: NOTE: See microfilm for first five paragraphs