School Board Says Consolidation Not Under Consideration
J.M. Bevins, Russell Prater Schools to Remain Open

by Cathy St. Clair
News Editor
  Members of the Buchanan County School Board vowed again Monday the current board has no intentions of consolidating schools at J.M. Bevins Elementary or Russell Prater Elementary.
  North Grundy School Board Member Don Newberry brought up the topic at Monday’s meeting, announcing he would fight to keep J.M. Bevins open as long as he was on the board.
  South Grundy School Board Member David Thornbury said he had spoken with a woman, who he did not identify to the board, who he alleged told him that Prater School Board Member Bill Crigger had told her consolidation was a possibility.
  He asked if Crigger, as chairman of the budget committee, had “uncovered something the board was not privvy to.”
  Crigger responded saying he had spoken about consolidation with those who had asked him, noting he had spoken realistically to them, telling them that Riverview had originally been built to consolidate all the elementary schools on that end of the county. He said he has told those who have asked that in his opinion those two schools won’t be there forever, but said he had placed no timeframe in his discussion.
  However, he said, until enrollment concerns warrant different action, it his opinion both schools need to stay open and operational where they’re at.
  Knox School Board Chairman Clarence Brown noted it was his recollection the current board had declared further consolidation “a dead issue” when the current board took office three and one-half years ago.
  He further noted that sometimes board members make comments in jest, such as Newberry kidding with him that the Hurley schools would be moved to Grundy in the next year.
  Nothing of that sort is planned by the board, Brown said, but he noted that board members are free to speak as individuals.
  “This board has gone on record several times and said consolidation is not an issue with this board,” Brown said.
  Superintendent Tommy P. Justus agreed, noting he remembered when the current board took office. He said statements at that time made it crystal clear the board did not support further consolidation.
  Justus noted that enrollment losses in the county school system have stabilized dramatically for the last couple of years. Instead of losing 200 students annually, that number is now down to about 30, he said.
  He added that in recent years, school enrollment projections have been accurate and he said this year appears to be no different.
  The school system settles up with the state Friday on the amount of state revenue the county system will receive based on enrollment.
  “Right now, we’re about seven students to the good,” Justus said, noting there are seven more students enrolled now than the 3,430 projected in the budget.
  Justus said with changes going in the county now, enrollment in the future might even start gaining ground.
  “We may have to start building more schools,” Hurricane School Board Member Willie Sullivan quipped.
  Overall, Justus said, revenue has been better than normal, which has resulted in the Buchanan County Board of Supervisors’ willingness to fund various capital improvement projects.
  “I find it hard to believe we’ve completed the capital improvement projects we have,” Justus said.
  Sullivan said that credit should go to the supervisors who funded the projects the school board requested.

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Supervisors Approve Big Sandy SWCD Agreement

by Cathy St. Clair
News Editor
  Another settlement agreement between Buchanan County and the Big Sandy Soil & Water Conservation District was approved Monday during a special called meeting of the Buchanan County Board of Supervisors.
  Those involved in negotiating the agreement are hopeful that this time the agreement will stick.
  The agreement falls on the heels of prior agreements approved by the board in attempts to resolve a property dispute between Big Sandy and the county, but to date, none of the proposals previously announced as agreed upon by both sides ended up in ink. Instead, changes were made which caused the agreements to be scrapped and required negotiations to begin anew.
  Assuming Big Sandy inks the deal this time, however, the soil and water conservation district will get an extra $10,000 over the $10,000 previously agreed to, moving expenses and one-half acre of land on Slate Creek to which the agency will relocate.
  Assistant County Attorney Lee Moise went over the terms of the agreement with the board Monday, noting that in the end, the settlement agreement will accomplish what the subject of litigation between Big Sandy and the county was all about. With the settlement in place, the D.A. Justus property on which Big Sandy is now located will be freed up with the agency's move allowing the board to develop the property to house a gym and ballfield.
  "I ask you to consider the ultimate goal versus what would happen if we go further in litigation," Moise said. "I think the board should consider getting this off the table and moving on."
  He explained the terms of the settlement which include:
  * Big Sandy will receive a general warranty deed to a one-half acre piece of property located behind and to the right of the current county mapping office with the only restriction being a right of first refusal to the county/Industrial Development Authority for a period of no more than 30 days for the county/IDA to exercise its right of first refusal.
  * The county will pay for all relocation costs -- up to a cap of $7,500 -- for moving, hook-ups to water and sewer service as well as electric service associated with the move of the office to the new site.
  * A payment of $20,000 will be made to Big Sandy by the county to defray expenses of Big Sandy for displacement and lost opportunity costs to be made at the same time the deed and/or releases required are signed to finalize the settlement.
  * The county will provide any and all easements necessary for ingress and egress to and from the property.
  * The county will provide any and all easements for parking at least five vehicles upon the adjoining property.
  * The agreement will be signed on or before April 2, 2007.
  "I don't understand why it jumped from $10,000 to $20,000," Hurricane Supervisor William P. Harris said.
  "It was their board's decision," Moise said referring to Big Sandy.
  South Grundy Supervisor Roger Rife asked about general warranty deeds and Moise explained they are the highest type of deed which can be conveyed since they guarantee title.
  Rife said he wondered what Big Sandy's legal fees were in the case and specifically what the group would use the $20,000 for.
  Moise noted that Big Sandy Attorney Tom Mullins characterized the funds would be used for "lost opportunities and intangibles."
  Knox Supervisor Pat Justus made the motion to approve the settlement agreement.
  "I make a motion we pay him and get him out of there," Justus said.
  Rocklick Supervisor David Ratliff seconded the motion.
  Harris said he had mixed emotions about the deal.
  "Let's get rid of it," Ratliff said in urging Harris for his vote. "It's been on the table for two years." Harris abstained.
  Rife said he would not feel comfortable voting "yes" until he had a better explanation of what the $20,000 was for and added for that reason, he would vote "no."
  Prater Supervisor Eddie Lindsay agreed  and also voted "no."
  North Grundy Chairman Carroll Branham broke the tie with his "yes" vote, which saw the motion to approve the settlement pass 3-2-1.
  Garden Supervisor Buddy Fuller was not present at Monday's meeting.
  Justus made the motion and Ratliff made the second to pay the funds out of the capital outlay account and to issue a check. The vote was 5-1 with Rife casting the lone vote of dissent.
  Harris and Lindsay said they would vote for the motion since the board had already approved the settlement.
  Lastly board members heard briefly from County Attorney Mickey McGlothlin  who asked the board for approval of a resolution asking McGlothlin to travel to Newport News and appear before the Virginia Marine Resources panel and state and argue the county's position that CONSOL should not be allowed to make its proposed discharge of untreated salt water into the Levisa River.
  The VMRA meeting was set for Tuesday.
  Justus made the motion authorizing McGlothlin to make the trip and Ratliff made the second. It was agreed to unanimously by those present.
  The motion will have to be redone and ratified at the board's April 2 meeting since only business identified on a special called meeting agenda may be taken up at that meeting unless all board members are present and agree to discuss other matters.
  County Administrator W.J. Caudill said the matter would be listed for formal consideration at the April 2 meeting.

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Buchanan DSS Gets High Marks from Regional Office
Local Agency Performance Applauded

by Scotty Wampler
Staff Reporter
  The Buchanan County Department of Social Services is "as good as any we have," regional DSS representative Tony Fritz told members of the DSS board earlier this mont.
  On hand to address the agency's newly-formed administrative board, Fritz made a point to express his and the state's admiration for the quality of services and work shown by the county DSS over the years.
  "Buchanan County has traditionally been a good performing agency," he said. "This agency really does a good job."
  However, Fritz outlined several county-specific statistics for the board's information, beginning with Buchanan County's 21.1 percent poverty rate - a figure only Lee County matches regionwide. Wise County and the City of Radford, with poverty rates of 19.2 and 19.1, respectively, were the only other localities to eclipse a 19 percent rate. No locality drops below 10.3 (Giles County), which is greater than the statewide rate of 9.5. The region has a 15.39 percent poverty rate.

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