ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, January 3, 1996 TAG: 9601030070
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: ROCKY MOUNT
SOURCE: TODD JACKSON STAFF WRITER
The new conservative majority on the Franklin County Board of Supervisors wasted little time putting its philosophy to work.
At their annual reorganizational meeting on Tuesday, the supervisors - with new members John Helms, Jerre Lumsden and Don Riddle - not only chose a new chairman but tackled some important business as well.
Riddle spoke publicly against a Dec. 19 board decision to appropriate $500,000 - $100,000 a year for the next five years - to the Franklin County Family YMCA.
Riddle said he supports the YMCA but believes taxpayer money shouldn't be handed out to a private organization.
This year's board can't be held to actions taken by last year's, he said.
Riddle and several other board members then agreed that the supervisors can readdress the YMCA funding during its upcoming 1996-97 budget talks.
Then, shortly after the YMCA issue was discussed, Blue Ridge Supervisor Hubert Quinn offered a motion to delay a $1.3 million contract for a new juvenile and domestic relations court addition to the county courthouse, which the old board approved last month.
Martin Bros. Contractors of Roanoke submitted the low bid, which was $600,000 over original estimates. The board voted 5-2 on Dec. 19 to award the bid.
Quinn and Supervisor Wayne Angell cast the opposing votes.
Tuesday, the board on a voice vote decided to delay final approval of the contract for 30 days so there can be additional discussion.
Quinn said he's in favor of the court addition, but believes it can be built at a lower cost.
Quinn also was successful Tuesday in getting the go-ahead for a new industrial park in his district.
The board voted 6-1 to buy an 88-acre tract near Ferrum College on which the county has had an option for several months.
The former board voted 4-3 in November not to exercise its option on the property.
Three outgoing members of that board - Charles Ellis, Lois English and Homer Murray - voted in the majority along with Gus Forry. The property's location and the cost of extending adequate water and sewer to it were cited as reasons for the action.
At the time, Quinn said he'd just wait and bring the issue back up when the new board members started their terms.
Tuesday, Riddle, Lumsden and Helms voted with Quinn, and Forry this time held the minority opinion.
In another matter Tuesday, the board and Rocky Mount Town Manager Mark Henne engaged in a lengthy and, at times, spirited discussion about cooperation between the town and county on future capital projects.
Henne has attended the board's last three meetings to ask for more county dollars to help finance several undertakings.
The town is trying to revitalize important road corridors and is extending itself to do so, he said.
The town is now working on or planning such projects as a new sewer system on Virginia 40 East, the widening and curbing and guttering of State Street in front of the Franklin County-Rocky Mount Industrial Park, and development of a road into the county and town's Commerce Park on North Main Street.
"There are a lot of plans, a lot of projects, a lot of progress," he said.
But several supervisors said the town hasn't provided enough details about the projects to let the county make informed decisions.
"When you ask me why I voted the way I did, I want to be able to tell you," said Angell.
Henne and board members then agreed that the town will gather the facts and figures that the county needs and the projects will be discussed again at an upcoming meeting.
Helms, though, bluntly offered his thoughts on a hot topic between the board and the Rocky Mount Town Council - a possible attempt by the town to annex a portion of the Virginia 40 East corridor, including the site of a new Wal-Mart superstore.
The town has asked the county to kick in $438,000 toward the new sewer project along Virginia 40 that will serve the Wal-Mart store and provide the framework to serve anticipated commercial and residential development.
In reorganizational matters, Angell was elected chairman and Quinn vice chairman.
The board decided to go from two meetings a month to one. It will be on the third Tuesday each month beginning at 1:30 p.m.
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