Paper, Plastic Recycling Bins in Place; 'Waste Audit Will Determine Need

by Scotty Wampler
Staff Reporter
   Buchanan County residents interested in recycling paper and plastic items now have a convenient way to do so.
    Two large, green recycling bins are being installed adjacent to the Grundy Plaza in the parking lot near the Peking Chinese Restaurant.
    One bin, which is already in place and being used, is for paper items such as newspapers and cardboard. The second bin, which will be dropped off at the site any day now, will be reserved for plastic items such as soda bottles and milk jugs.
    Toby Edwards, Regional Litter Prevention/Recycling Coordinator for the Cumberland Plateau Regional Waste Management Authority, supervised the installation last Thursday, confirming the new recycling area is part of a "waste audit" to determine whether local residents will use the bins.
    "If it proves to be something the citizens want and are going to use, we'll look at long-term," Edwards said.
    Edwards added the Buchanan County Litter Control Office has agreed to patrol the site daily, making sure the bins are kept tidy. When full, the bins will be emptied and their contents hauled to Southwest Recycling in Tazewell for processing.
    Additionally, Edwards said someone from Grundy High School contacted the Waste Management Authority recently to inquire about obtaining recycling bins for the school's campus, adding he would be meeting with the school board this month to talk about the idea. He said he also hopes to some day start a program involving all county schools allowing them to compete in recycling competitions.

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Town Contractor Completes Infrastructure Project
Savings of $30,430 Are Realized on Contract

by JoBeth Wampler
Staff Reporter
    The project connecting water and sewer lines, storm water drainage and fiber optic conduit to the Site E redevelopment site in Grundy has been completed, Thompson & Litton officials announced to the Grundy Industrial Development Board last Tuesday.
    Crosspointe Contracting, Inc., the contractor for the water extension project, has finalized its work and a closeout change order has been completed, said Rick Chitwood, project manager for Thompson & Litton.
    According to Chitwood, the town originally budgeted $1,138,368.10 for the project. However, the water line extension ended up costing only $1,107,938.08 – a $30,430.02 decrease in what was expected.
    IDA Executive Director Chuck Crabtree explained this is because water lines were cut off within 10 feet of the Wal-Mart complex and other structures to be built on the new town site.
    "We did that so that as construction takes place, it won't disturb the water lines," he said. "The developer will be installing the rest when he comes."
    Chitwood added that he expects to begin advertising bids or negotiating a change order with Crosspointe Contracting for the final waterline replacement project. He projects the entire waterline replacement project from the town to Little Prater will be completed by April 2007; though, some IDA board members questioned the feasibility of doing so.
    The IDA board approved the change order, highlighting the $30,430 net decrease, unanimously.
     The IDA board also received a request for a deed of correction from University Plaza builder Henry Cantrell, which could cost the town several hundred dollars.
    According to Town Attorney Tom Mullins, Cantrell asked that a different company be listed as grantee.
    "It's apparently a financing issue," Mullins said. "A deed of correction is typically needed to correct some defect in the deed itself. And, that is not what we have here."
    If the IDA board approved the request, he added that the development agreement would also need revisions to make valid the agreements previously made between the IDA and Cantrell.

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Lack of New Funding Delays VDOT 6-Year Plan Hearing
Secondary Roads Will Be Considered Later in the Spring

by Cathy St. Clair
News Editor
   Lack of new transportation funding will mean no more new projects will be added to the state six-year secondary road plan, Virginia Department of Transportation Resident Engineer Conrad Hill told members of the Buchanan County Board of Supervisors last Thursday.
   Hill noted VDOT traditionally holds a public hearing in October to gather input on amendments to the six-year plan, however, he said with cuts to the transportation budget in the Bristol district and statewide, there is no reason to hold the hearing.
   “At this point, there is no possibility of adding projects, so there is no benefit to having the public hearing,” Hill said.
   He suggested to the supervisors that it would be better to wait until next spring – after the General Assembly session has been held – to consider the six-year year road plan.
   Thursday’s meeting was delayed at the start by 25 minutes as board members in attendance had to wait for a quorum to arrive in order to get started.
   North Grundy Supervisor Carroll Branham, who along with his wife,  was involved in an automobile accident earlier that morning, was at the hospital with his wife and was not able to be in attendance at the meeting. Knox Supervisor Pat Justus, who came along at the wreck site on Slate Creek shortly after it happened stayed to help secure Branham’s truck belongings and was late for the meeting as a result. Rocklick Supervisor David Ratliff and Hurricane Supervisor William P. Harris also arrived late.
   In other road discussion at Thursday’s meeting, Ratliff introduced Poplar Creek residents, who were there to discuss a problem with flooding during heavy rains which occurs in that area due to an apparent blockage in a culvert in the creek.

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