ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, September 5, 1996 TAG: 9609050064
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: COMPILED BY KENNETH SINGLETARY AND PAUL DELLINGER
Completing a changing of the guard in town government, Christiansburg Town Council on Tuesday appointed Barry Helms to be assistant town manager, replacing Lance Terpenny, who moved into the town manager position with John Lemley's retirement. Helms, a 1976 graduate of Virginia Military Institute with a bachelor's degree in civil engineering and a retired Army major, has been administrative assistant to the town manager for two years.
Council also changed its rules for Planning Commission appointments so the town manager no longer will be a voting member. Council then appointed Dewey Lusk, a contractor, to the commission.
Christiansburg residents also now are seeing the results of the town's increase in its sewer rates as the September bills are being delivered. Because of federal and state environmental regulations that required the town to speed up its planned wastewater treatment plant upgrade, now set to begin in 1998, the sewer rate has doubled to $32 for the first 8,000 gallons and $4 for each additional 1,000 gallons. The charge for out-of-town users will be 50 percent higher. Despite the increase, "We're still about the cheapest in the area," Terpenny said.
Pulaski Town Council will be outfitting its town hall with a new telecommunications system probably before the end of the year. Paul Houston, a consultant from the state Department of Information Technology, told council Tuesday that the project will update the town's early-1970s technology to a system that will serve its needs for at least 12 to 15 years, and be able to take advantage of new communications technologies that become available during that time. Offices will get direct numbers with voice mail for messages when an employee is not available. The town also will be able to track its long-distance time and costs by department. Councilman Lane Penn wanted a system that avoids putting callers on terminal hold as they talk to recordings. The town is looking at system proposals from Scott County Telephone Co., Lucent Technologies (formerly AT&T) and Bell Atlantic.
Pulaski will close the Gatewood Park camping area early this year, on Sept. 29, to start bathroom and water system renovations before winter weather halts work. Normally, the camping area is open through October. Other park facilities will remain open.
Pulaski officials say their use of inmate labor under a new state program has paid off, especially with the 576 hours of work performed so far by six prisoners in cleaning Peak Creek. Town Manager Tom Combiths told the town's Finance Committee Tuesday the cost would have been about $3,500 if town laborers were used. The Department of Corrections will have inmates back next week for more work on Peak Creek. "They've been an excellent group," Combiths said.
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