Residents Voice Road Concerns
Published 4:27 pm Tuesday, November 30, 2010
CUMBERLAND – County Supervisors heard from concerned residents of Carriage Hill Road about the condition of their road during the Board of Supervisors meeting earlier this month.
According to the residents, the condition of the road is deteriorating and causing safety concerns for those living along the private road off of Route 45. Their wish is to see the road taken into the state's system and maintained.
Although the Virginia Department of Transportation liaison was not present during this meeting, many residents of Carriage Hill Road in Cumberland still attended the meeting and requested that the County officially petition VDOT to see if the road could be taken into the state's maintenance system.
The petition requests that the road be added to the Secondary System and maintained as public road. The petition was circulated by Carriage Hill Road resident Mary Elder and was signed by all the residents living on the road.
When Ms. Elder addressed the Board she said, “We think we are eligible for the state maintenance of Carriage Hill Road and meet the requirements that are listed.”
According to her, residents on the road pay a $150 maintenance fee each year but, she believes the road is still not up to standard.
“Some people are behind in payment,” she said. “Even if every one of us paid there still would not be enough money to keep this road up.”
The condition of the road, she asserted, is a hazard for the elderly residents on the road and for the children who catch the bus at the end near Route 45.
“The assessed property value of our homes has decreased due to the condition of our road,” she added. “Some of us have lost sales of our homes due to this…”
Chairman Tim Kennell, District Two, explained to the residents of Carriage Hill Road in attendance that the petition and additional information related to the request would be sent to VDOT for that agency's consideration.
“We will turn this over to VDOT and they'll take a look at it and get back to us…,” he said about the review process.
According to information provided, Jorg Huckabee-Mayfield, VDOT's liaison, should review the petition and provide additional information during the December meeting.
In other VDOT news related to the closing of a bridge in the Cartersville area, information was provided to the Board before the meeting that was also sent from Ms. Huckabee-Mayfield about the proposed delay of the Muddy Creek Bridge Project (Route 684).
The contractor, Bryant Construction, will postpone the work until January to ease some of the inconvenience to residents during the holiday season, according to that circulated information.
“VDOT is currently exploring a number of options to reduce the impact of this repair,” stated the information. “These include staged construction strategies that could leave lanes open during construction, temporary crossings and accelerated scheduling to reduce the project's duration.”
Once work begins on the bridge, the detour route is expected to cost travelers an additional 30 minutes.
“At this time, we expect to have this evaluation complete within the next several weeks. We will update the County on new developments as this information becomes available,” concluded the news provided by VDOT.
According to County Administrator Judy Ownby, Cumberland's emergency services personnel have addressed their concerns about providing timely service to citizens when the bridge is closed for repairs.
Pat Scales, Cumberland's commonwealth's attorney, requested the Board provide additional funding in the amount of $7,674 to be used as salary for the legal assistant who is working in her office on the capital murder case that is now set for trial in the spring.
According to Ms. Scales, the original funding was based on the fact that the case was set to go to trial in May 2010. But, since the case has been continued several times, the legal assistant is continuing to work on the case.
“That trial is still going on and you all had appropriated funding for a legal assistant…,” she said about the preparation. “…They do want additional funding and I am requesting additional funding on their behalf.”
Ms. Scales noted that the case has been continued because the case involves the death penalty.
“As of this moment, it is set for late May 2011 and I'm not anticipating anymore continuances,” she said about the case.
Supervisor Elbert Womack, District Four, asked County staff where the money would come from for the appropriation?
“We don't have anything in the budget for this,” noted Assistant County Administrator of Finance and Human Resources Jill Matthews. “We do have some miscellaneous projects reserves but this item would most likely have to be a supplemental appropriation from the general fund.”
After asking if there was available relief from the state in such a case, the Board approved the request that the funding be appropriated in the amount of $7,674.
Ms. Scales noted that she is a “one-person office” and only works part-time.
“That's why I needed the legal assistance to supplement what is currently available from a staffing perspective in my office,” she said about the work involved in a capital murder trial.
The County Administrator was also directed by the Board to inquire if the state does provide assistance in circumstances such as this in Cumberland.
The Board appropriated the Litter Grant funds in the amount of $5,910-$1,000 goes to the Recycling Committee and the remainder will go to the Fund 100 Recycling budget.
A cost comparison for painting county buildings was also provided for review. Inmates did this work from the Piedmont Regional Jail.
“We pulled the original bids,” noted Ms. Matthews, “for the painting of the Courthouse complex and the original low bid on that project was $10,582.58…”
The cost of the materials to complete the project (mostly paint) totaled approximately $2,500, which gave the County a net savings of approximately $6,800 by utilizing the Piedmont Regional Jail labor.
She noted that the figure did not include a lot of extra work that was provided while in the County such as sidewalk cleaning.
“Thanks for your recommendation,” said Supervisor Bill Osl, District One, to Supervisor Womack for recommending that the inmates complete the work.
Information was also presented on a cost-savings to the County. A year ago, according to Ms. Matthews, Stuart Harris informed the administration that insulating the new Sheriff's Office building would result in a “significant savings” in electrical costs.
The report indicated that $3,400 less was expended the past year over the previous year.
“From this point on we should receive a net savings of $3,400 each year,” said Ms. Matthews about the decrease in the electric bill for that building.
The Board also granted a special temporary use permit renewal to Greater Works Ministries. The renewal is to allow for a mobile office trailer on the site located near old Catfish's General Store on Cartersville Road.
This permit superseded a special temporary use permit, which was issued for one year and renewed for one year, according to Andrew Sorrell, the County's planning and zoning administrator.
A request letter was provided from Pastor Nathaniel Staton of the Greater Works Christian Church Ministries stating that due in part to the poor economy the church has been unable to complete the addition to the church, which is needed before the office trailer can be moved.
For information, Ms. Matthews explained to the Board that an invoice for payment had been received from EHF Consulting related to the consulting work done in two phases for the County's administration and then the school system identifying potential revenue and cost-savings.
“We would like approval to take care of their payment pursuant to the contract signed by the Board after first consulting with our Treasurer's Office to have him review those total numbers,” Ms. Matthews requested. “The payment to EHF is a percentage of the savings or additional revenue and we want to make sure we work with our treasurer so he can review his numbers because that's where the bulk of the additional revenue is…”
According to Ms. Matthews, the payment is based on “actual dollars.”
“Any payment would be a percentage of actual dollars received according to the services,” she noted.
EHF is proposing that the County pay (the original bill) $80,000.
“But, again we are working through some of those items and they are going to have to be based on actual dollars received,” said Ms. Matthews.
Supervisor Womack requested that the Board vote on the payment once the actual figure is finalized.
“I'd like to see the actual figure,” he said.
Michael Cooper, assistant county administrator of community development, advised the Board that the County would be, with approval, under contract with Dewberry for utilities work, easement requirements, and administration related to the County's waterline extension project.
“The contract… would be in the amount of $29,940,” said Cooper. “What's important is that this is covered under the funding through USDA Rural Development for this project…,” he noted. “It's part of that package. We just need the Board to approve that part of the contract.”
According to Cooper, USDA approved the contract and the work needs to be conducted before the waterline project can be put out to bid.
Supervisor Van Petty, District Three, made the motion to extend the Dewberry contract and it was unanimously passed.
Cooper also reminded the Board that the state maintains (VEDP) a database for which businesses can explore when looking for sites to locate in Virginia.
Presently, he said, the vacant lot at the Riverside Industrial Park is on the site and he wishes to put the newly rezoned business park on the site, as well, once the details are finalized.
“I also want to bring up the fact that we have the former social services building,” he said about the possible business potential. “…I'd like to see a good asset like that…be marketed more than it is today so I would just make you aware of that to add that to the listings on the state's site.”
No cost would be included with putting the building on the state's site and would be an interest due to its location and utilities, he added.
The Board agreed that it would be in the County's best interest to put the former social services building on the state's marketing site.
Piedmont Regional Jail representatives were present for the meeting and were recognized with a resolution of appreciation.
Supervisor Womack is chairman of the Piedmont Regional Jail Board and requested earlier this year that Cumberland utilize the jail's Workforce Program.
According to the resolution, Jail Superintendent Ernest Toney and Assistant Superintendent Donald Hunter worked together to establish the program that benefits nearby Counties by providing labor on various projects.
Skilled and non-skilled inmates recently provided work to County buildings at no charge, thus saving the County taxpayer dollars.
Specific projects completed in Cumberland include litter pickup; painting the County Administrator and Courthouse buildings; cleaning and maintenance of the Courthouse area sidewalks and ball fields moving furniture at the Community Center; and a plan to paint bathrooms at Cumberland's schools during the holiday break.
The resolution of appreciation “gratefully acknowledges the outstanding program administered by the Piedmont Regional Jail.
“When ya'll see these people on the street, give them a hand,” said Supervisor Womack about the jail's administration. “They do a great service…”
Supervisor Womack also spoke during the Board's comment segment and stated that he had attended the last Randolph Fire Department Auxiliary meeting with Supervisor Bobby Oertel, District Five, about some disagreements that the fire department and the auxiliary are having.
“I just told them that, you know, that they need to get along,” he said. “We, as a Board, are not interested in running a fire department or an auxiliary, either one. But I also did tell them that they need to realize that the Ladies Auxiliary gave them $10,000 last year. That's not to be sneezed at and I don't know of no fire department around here that the auxiliary has given them that kind of money and I would hope that they wouldn't think they are going to come down and ask us for that kind of money in place of not being able to get along.”
He also questioned the Commissioner of Revenue's personal property tax bills related to penalties showing up on the forms.
“Under federal taxes you cannot claim the penalties as part of your taxes,” advised County Attorney Howard Estes. “So people could be actually claiming things incorrectly on their taxes.”
Ms. Ownby advised that the Commissioner of Revenue had mentioned to her that the process would be looked into related to the penalties.
“Do we need to take some action?” asked Supervisor Petty.
“All I want to be is honest with the public,” advised Womack.
Although the Board cannot take action, it did recommend that Ms. Ownby follow-up with the Commissioner of Revenue's office relating to stating the penalty amount.
Later, Supervisor Osl encouraged Ms. Ownby to come back to the Board with the two percent bonus request for county staff in the future.
“I would not discourage you from coming on back if the circumstances warrant and encourage you to do so,” he said about county staff and the Department of Social Services not receiving a one-time bonus that was requested by the County Administrator of the Supervisors during the November meeting.
