Highland County Board of Supervisors December Meeting – Part 2

December 7, 2022

 

This is part two of coverage from the Highland County Board of Supervisors December meeting, held on December 6.

At the meeting, the Board approved issuing a loan, from the county’s Fire and Rescue Revolving Fund, to the McDowell Volunteer Fire Department.   The department needs new air packs, at a cost of $7,000 each, and the entire loan amount is $120,000.    County Administrator Roberta Lambert explained that $65,000 is available in the Revolving Fund and the balance of the loan, $55,000, can be taken from the county’s General Fund.

The Bolar Volunteer Rescue Squad requested $2,000 from the county for the purchase of batteries and supplies for Life Packs.  During discussion, the Board agreed they are fine with supporting this request, but felt it should come through the Advisory Committee of the EMS program, since EMS is striving to work together as a single unit and not as individual companies.

The Board also voted to approve bonuses for county employees.  County Administrator Roberta Lambert recommended the bonuses and said the money can come from savings from current open positions.

A public hearing was held on the county’s Public Procurement Procedure ordinance.  County Attorney Melissa Dowd explained that the ordinance needed to be updated to bring it in line with Virginia code, by revising the cap amounts and procedures. This update increases the cap amounts on contracts for goods and services and competitive negotiations.  If contract amounts are under these caps, the county can follow it’s procedures instead of using state guidelines for purchasing.  The cap rose to $200,000 for goods and services and to $80,000 for competitive negotiation.  No one spoke during the public hearing.  The Board approved the revision of the ordinance.

And Don Ferrell, Brittany Gum and Trey Williams were reappointed, and Morgan Hooke was appointed, to the Recreation Commission.    And Jeff Perdue was appointed to the Tourism Council.

To hear part one of this story on coverage from the Highland County Board of Supervisors December meeting, visit our website www.alleghenymountainradio.org

Story By

Bonnie Ralston

Bonnie Ralston is the Assistant Station Coordinator at WVLS and a Highland County news reporter. She began volunteering at Allegheny Mountain Radio in the fall of 2005. In 2006 she became an AMR employee and worked in Bath County for eight years as the WCHG Station Coordinator and then as the news reporter there. She began working in radio while in college and has stayed connected to radio, in one way or another, for more than thirty years. She grew up in Staunton, Virginia, while spending a lot of time on her family’s farm in Deerfield, Virginia. She enjoys spending time outside, watching old TV shows and movies and tending to her chickens.
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