ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, May 29, 1996 TAG: 9605290091
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: CHRISTINA NUCKOLS STAFF WRITER
In an effort to save jobs in its only defense-dependent industry, Roanoke County has offered an incentive package of nearly $300,000 to ITT Corp.'s night vision division.
The package approved by the Board of Supervisors Tuesday includes a write-off of $169,000 from a dispute with the county over the cost to run a water line to residents whose wells were apparently contaminated by hazardous waste from ITT's factory.
The remainder of the money consists of a $100,000 grant the county has agreed to give ITT next year, plus a $10,000 state grant the county has already helped ITT obtain for its defense conversion program.
Economic Development Specialist Joyce Waugh said ITT in return has agreed to continue employing 625 Roanoke Valley residents at its factory through at least mid-1999 and will spend $4 million over the next two years on new equipment and research. The new equipment is part of ITT's program to redesign its night vision products for commercial use now that its military market is shrinking. The night vision goggles will be marketed to law enforcement agencies as well as consumers for uses ranging from personal safety to night-time boating.
The dispute over the $169,000 occurred after the Environmental Protection Agency found unsafe levels of the suspected carcinogen trichloroethylene or TCE in residential wells near ITT in 1992. The county hired a contractor to run water lines into the neighborhoods with the understanding that ITT would pay for the project. ITT paid $136,000 of the costs but refused to pay the remaining $169,000, saying the lines were run into areas that were not contaminated and that the county's contractor was charging too much for the project.
County attorney Paul Mahoney said the debt was pursued through collection letters and legal notices until last year, but the county had failed to reach an agreement with ITT over the matter.
Company officials could not be reached for comment.
In other action Tuesday, supervisors rezoned 88.5 acres adjacent to the Blue Ridge Parkway in Eastern Roanoke County as a planned commercial development. Owner Al Hammond plans to host corporate conferences and retreats at the site and also offer fly-fishing and sport-shooting classes.
Supervisors held a public hearing on their proposed $90 million budget for 1996-9, but no county residents asked to comment.
LENGTH: Short : 50 linesby CNB