Highland Supervisors Look At Timetable For Monterey Sidewalk Project

Monterey, VA – At its Tuesday evening meeting this week, the Highland County Board of Supervisors discussed recent communications with the Virginia Department of Transportation regarding the Monterey sidewalk project. County Administrator Roberta Lambert and Supervisor Jerry Rexrode bring the other Board Members up to date.

“We expect the bids to do out in the next 60 days?” asks Rexrode. “Hopefully, that’s depending on VDOT’s review of the documentation” says Lambert. “We would like to go to bid so that it ready for letting of bid by spring.”

The Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission has received a grant to improve the energy efficiency of county buildings in the district and contacted Lambert recently to get the process started in Highland County.

“The Planning district as a whole received funding” says Lambert. “And part of that was for energy audits of buildings within the planning district.”

She says Spectrum Design of Roanoke has been selected to conduct the energy audits for the Shenandoah Valley Energy Efficiency Project. She says the Supervisors are asked to provide a contact name for the consultants working on the project.

The Supervisors passed a motion to list the Courthouse as first priority for an energy audit and to put the Health Department building, the old part of the jail and the Social Services office building on the list as lower priorities. Ms. Lambert was designated as the county contact person for this process.

In other business, Supervisor Rexrode reported on the McDowell water system.

“McDowell water system, everything is pretty much up and running” says Rexrode. “We still have a problem with the power; we’re just not getting a constant supply of power that we need from BARC. It’s been suggested that we look at putting in a small transformer at the well site.”

The Board approved authorization for Supervisor Rexrode to meet with BARC to discuss how to improve the stability of electrical power to the McDowell water system. The Virginia Association of Counties sent a letter to the Board requesting that they consider donating $1000 to VACO’s lobbying efforts to defeat a bill regarding real estate assessment appeals. The bill would change the burden of proof from the taxpayer appealing an assessment to the county commissioner of the revenue.

It is expected that this could cost the county thousands of dollars in legal fees when assessments are challenged in court. The Supervisors approved the request for a $1000 donation to VACO’s lobbying effort.

In other business, the Supervisors approved reappointment of Recreation Commission Members Don Ferrell, George Deem and Sherry Sullenberger for three year terms.

Doe Hill resident Lee Blagg addressed the Supervisors during the public comment period and requested that they consider repealing the county farm equipment tax. He claims some county residents are not aware of this part of the personal property tax and so are not paying it. The Supervisors agreed to investigate this issue and consider it at a future meeting.

The next regular meeting of the Highland County Board of Supervisors will be Tuesday, February 1 at 7:30 PM in the modular conference center in Monterey.

Story By

Heather Niday

Heather is our Program Director and Traffic Manager. She started with Allegheny Mountain Radio as a volunteer deejay. She then joined the AMR staff in February of 2007. Heather grew up in the Richmond, Virginia, area and now lives in Arbovale, West Virginia with her husband Chuck. Heather is a wonderful flute player, and choir director for Arbovale UMC. You can hear Heather along with Chuck on Tuesday nights from 6 to 8pm as they host two hours of jazz on Something Different.

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