Monterey Town Council Discusses Funding For New Water Tank

Monterey, Va – Mayor Janice Warner reported to the council at its meeting Thursday evening, that the town has obtained a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development office to fund the preliminary engineering study on adding a new water tank on Town Hill. The new tank should provide added water pressure for residences south of town on Spruce Street. Several residents of that area have complained about low water pressure in their homes. The Mayor goes on to request a motion from council.

“The amount that the preliminary engineering report is going to be is $48,940.00” says Warner. “We don’t have that in the budget [but] the money that we have in the bank in the sewer plant replacement fund – we have over $100,000.00 dollars there and that’s considered cash. I have to have a motion from the council to move that and then we have to put it into the water category”

In other business, the Mayor asked Town Attorney Melissa Dowd where things stand with the Farm Bureau sign. After investigating the process with Zoning Administrator Jim Whitelaw, Attorney Dowd says that the sign company was given incorrect information by the Zoning Office. Their sign proposal was approved by the Zoning Office and they built the sign exactly as proposed, so there is no legal standing to force them to reduce the size of the sign.

She suggested that the Council should live and learn from this experience and be sure that correct information is sent out next time. Attorney Dowd goes on to clarify the current standing of the Town’s sign ordinance.

“My opinion is that you have a valid ordinance” says Dowd. “You adopted that sign language pursuant to all the requirements that we have for adopting an ordinance. It just didn’t go through all the proper channels to make it a change in the zoning ordinance.”

The Town’s sign ordinance will have to be reviewed by the Planning Commission before it can become part of the zoning ordinances.

Local contractor Bill Harman addressed the Council regarding his interest in building 3 or 4 apartments on his 4 acre property on Airport Terrace Road. He would like to connect these new residences to the town water system and asked the advice of the Council on the best way to do that. Councilman Fenn suggested that he look into the possibility of connecting to the town water system at the Colaw Trailer Park. If this doesn’t work out, he may have to wait until the Town is able to extend the water system further out Airport Terrace Rd.

In other business, the Council voted to join the Highland County Chamber of Commerce. The next meeting of the Monterey Town Council will be Thursday, November 4 in the Highland Public Library.