Highland Supervisors Begin Process For County Reassessments

Monterey, VA – At Tuesday’s meeting last week County Administrator Roberta Lambert reported to the Highland Board of Supervisors that the county has sent out a request for bids for the reassessment of land values scheduled to start January 1, 2011 and be effective January 1, 2012. Four companies have responded to the request, Blue Ridge, Wampler Eames, Pearson and Wingate. The Board went into closed session at the end of Tuesday’s meeting to discuss negotiation strategy for this bid process.

The Board revisited the issue of the McDowell Water System Cross Connection Control Ordinance. Supervisor Rexrode makes his recommendation and County Attorney Melissa Dowd offers additional information.

“What I would suggest we do is to draft a letter to each one of the McDowell water users and have them contact us if they’ve got an alternate water supply” says Rexrode “and let them go inspect it and make sure they’ve got the proper back flow prevention.”

“Given that this is a mandated program to have” says Dowd “that covers the issue by doing a letter like that.”

The Board approved Supervisor Rexrode’s motion. The Supervisors asked County Attorney Dowd to come up with a shortened version of the ordinance adopted by the Town of Monterey for consideration at a future meeting. In other business, County Administrator Roberta Lambert read a proclamation for America Recycles Day.

Lambert says Highland County has a very successful recycling program.

“We exceed the mandate from the state as to the percentage of recycling that we need to achieve annually” says Lambert “and I would ask you to adopt a proclamation recognizing those efforts and encouraging the citizens to continue with those efforts.”

The Board approved the proclamation for America Recycles Day. The Board also approved a proclamation for Veterans Day. The county has received a letter from the Augusta County Service Authority notifying them that the tipping fee for sending solid waste to them will increase from $40 per ton to $45 per ton in the near future. This would add about $8,000 per year to the county solid waste disposal costs.

The next meeting of the Highland County Board of Supervisors will be a work session with the School Board on Thursday, November 11 at 7:30. The next regular meeting of the Supervisors will be Tuesday, December 7 at 7:30 in Monterey.