BY DEBRA McCOWN
BRISTOL HERALD COURIER
ABINGDON, Va. – The Washington County Board of Supervisors approved a $350,000 expenditure to turn the old AEP building into the Washington County Public Safety Building.
“Tthat will give us enough money to adequately do what we need to do and hopefully return some of that back into our asset forfeiture fund,” Sheriff Fred Newman said of the unanimous vote Wednesday at a regular agenda meeting.
The money for building improvements comes from asset forfeiture funds the sheriff’s office received for its work with other agencies in crime investigations.
Newman said the main renovations will be for office space and the sheriff’s office will share the building with the county’s emergency services, information services and general services departments. He said he also hopes to receive grant funding for renovations and upgrades related to the county’s 911 dispatch system.
If things go well, Newman said, all sheriff’s office personnel could move from their several buildings into the new office in September or October.
The board also discussed at =length two controversial issues: a proposed Exit 24 truck stop that was the subject of a Tuesday public hearing and proposed tap fee and rate increases for water and sewer service in the county, which attracted a crowd to a public hearing last week at the office of the Washington County Service Authority.
Two supervisors opposed to the truck stop – Tom Taylor and Dulcie Mumpower – reiterated their points in opposition to the project; the four members, who voted Tuesday against killing the project, said nothing on the issue Wednesday.
Jack McCrady, who opposes the project, said “since it appears that this thing’s going to happen,” an air monitoring station should be placed at nearby Meadowview Elementary School so it can be determined if air quality deteriorates to hazardous levels because of the truck stop.
There seemed to be a consensus on the board that raising water and sewer connection fees would hinder growth in the county – and also stop people from hooking onto the county’s water and sewer systems unless it was mandatory. Only Taylor argued for proposed rate and fee increases.
Board members admitted they weren’t aware of an ordinance read by County Administrator Mark Reeter at the meeting, an ordinance that requires connection to these services and monthly access charges, even for those who continue to use private water sources and septic systems.
“I believe the real truth is if everybody hooked on the water lines that go by their house … I don’t believe they [the service authority] could produce the water,” Supervisor Paul Price said regarding why that ordinance is not enforced.
Price said enforcement of the ordinance would break the backs of developers and cost the county a lot of jobs.
dmccown@bristolnews.com | (276) 791-0701
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