Roads, trash, DMS property discussed by supervisors
By MIKE WILLIAMS
The Patriot
A public hearing was held Monday night by the Pulaski County Board of Supervisors and VDOT on the county’s Secondary Construction Six-Year Road Plan for fiscal year 2023-24.
The plan lists four road projects (listed by priority):
-Route 693 Julia Simpkins at Hoover Color
-Route 792 Davis Hollow Road
-Route 726 Sayers Road
Route 830 High Road
The top project – on Julia Simpkins – is a curve widening project at Hoover Color’s plant in Hiwassee.
The other three are all hard surfacing of unpaved roads.
Work is underway on Burleigh Horton Road in Draper, the top priority project for 2022-23, which involves hard surfacing an unpaved road.
No one spoke at the public hearing Monday, so the board is expected to approve the new plan at its next monthly meeting on June 26.
VDOT Resident Engineer David Clarke noted the county receives $272,000 per year from VDOT for the six-year road plan projects – enough he said to pave one-quarter mile of roadway.
Nearly all the funding – $212,000 – is earmarked for unpaved roads.
Clarke noted the remaining $60,000 comes to the county from telecommunications fees.
Projects on the six-year road plan, Clarke explained, tend to stay on the list for years as state money is accumulated. He said the “six-year” part of the plan name is a funding window, representing the priority in which state funds are placed over a six-year period.
In other road matters, Michael Reis addressed the board about concerns over the Thornspring – Route 11 intersection near Pulaski County Middle School and the need for a traffic signal.
Following his comments, County Administrator Jonathan Sweet explained that county staff has been working with VDOT officials “for some time now” on the need for a traffic signal for the intersection. He said that work is continuing.
At each monthly meeting of the board, supervisors are given an opportunity to list road concerns to Clarke.
Massie District rep Mike Mooney mentioned the need for mowing along Route 11.
Draper District rep Dirk Compton said he had been alerted about potholes along Clark Ferry Road.
Robinson District rep Jeff Reeves asked Clarke about unused maintenance funds that might be available since the weather was so mild this past winter, and whether those funds could be re-appropriated for brush removal.
Clarke said any savings might not be attributed to snow removal, adding there was a lot of prep work and “nights spent by personnel thinking it was going to snow.”
He said, however, VDOT will be gaining more funds for things such as brush removal at the start of the new fiscal year on July 1. Once received, he said, there will be a concentration on brush removal, ditching and shoulder work.
Cloyd District rep Chris Stafford asked about potholes at Belspring Road and Route 114, and a large pothole at the right turn leading onto Route 11 from the Kroger parking lot in Fairlawn. He also mentioned the need for trimming tree limbs hanging over the roadway on Old Giles Road in Dublin.
Ingles District rep Laura Walters said vegetation along Hazel Hollow Road is out in the roadway and needs to be trimmed back.
Sweet mentioned potholes at the right turn off Route 114 onto Viscoe Road in Fairlawn that need repair. He said tractor trailers are making wider turns to avoid the holes and its making for dangerous travel.
Old Dublin Middle School
The supervisors will hold a public hearing at their June 26 meeting on transferring the old Dublin Middle School property to the county’s Economic Development Authority.
Once transferred the authority will seek to re-purpose the old school property.
County Budget
Sweet told the supervisors that normally a public hearing on the county budget would have been held during the May meeting of the board. However, due to the delay in final approval of the state’s budget, that was not possible this year.
Sweet said a public hearing on the county spending plan will now be held at 5:30 p.m. on June 5. He noted the budget will not be approved that night, but rather would be approved at the board’s next regular meeting set for June 26.
Other comments heard during the meeting included PCEA President Candy Castelluccio who thanked the supervisors for granting additional local funding to help fund 5 percent raises for school personnel.
“Teachers do feel appreciated and valued,” she said, adding she had sat through the supervisors’ budget meetings and she knew personally what the board was up against in terms of funding issues.
Each board member offered congratulations to the Pulaski County High School Class of 2023 upon their graduation.
Stafford reminded everyone to remember what Memorial Day is all about.
Mooney noted 300 kids had participated in the Kids Fishing Day that was held recently. He thanked Assistant County Administrator Anthony Akers and all the volunteers involved in making the event so special for the kids – all of whom, he said, won prizes. He also thanked county Finance Director Diane Newby for her and her staff’s work on the budget.
Walters celebrated recent economic development announcements including TROVA’s use of the old Newbern Elementary School, the county’s Innovation Center in Fairlawn, the re-naming of the speedway in Fairlawn to Pulaski County Motorsports Park and the opening of the county’s new Experiential Center in Dublin.
Compton noted the extension for another month of the One Bag Challenge trash pickup effort in the county.
Earlier in the meeting, Walters announced the May results of the One Bag Challenge in which 95 bags of trash were collected along with 12 tires. Thirty-seven people participated in the effort for the month.
That brings the total number of bags to 755 along with 268 tires and 237 county citizens and organizations participating.
Walters said the challenge is being extended one month more to help reach the county’s goal of 1,000 bags of trash being picked up.
Visit pulaskicounty.org for information on how to participate in the challenge.