The Shadow
Town Manager Chuck Unroe revealed to the Clifton Forge Town Council that a water leak under the bridge located near the Alleghany Building cannot be repaired due to its location.
Unroe remarked, “We are losing 75,000 gallons of water per day, and we have no access to fix the leak.”
To complicate the matter, the leaking water main is buried beneath 6’ of river rock that serves as the foundation for a concrete support for the bridge.
“No equipment can get to it,” Unroe concluded.
Sarah Cook, utility division project coordinator for Thrasher, the architecture/engineering/field services company based in Charleston, W.Va., was on hand to report on the progress her company is making to solve the problem.
Cook said, “Right now we are still in the data-gathering stage, and we are preparing a solution and going through the permitting process that is necessary.”
The company plans to add a new pipe that will serve the three citizens in that location.
Vice-Mayor Bob Umstead said, “Losing 75,000 gallons of water a day is a lot of water.”
Unroe also noted another problem on which he is working. The Dog Park Project was approved four years ago for “The Jungle,” a nickname given to the area south of the old Clifton Forge High School that is located on the banks of Smith Creek.
Unroe revealed that the approved site hit a snag with the EPA that does not permit dog parks to be located near streams, and the area approved is too close to Smith Creek to get approval from the EPA.
Finding a suitable place for the Dog Park Project has been narrowed down to Matthews Park, and Unroe presented Council with two options.
The first plan calls for the elimination of the Little League Baseball Park by splitting it up the middle, one half serving small dogs and the other half serving large dogs. The plan calls for trees to be planted to create shade, and the dugouts could be used by the dog owners for shade as well.
The second plan would keep the Little League Baseball Park but modify it by moving the fence in to 125’ from home plate to accommodate T-ball players only.
Unroe said, “If we keep the field for T-ball play, then we will need to build a wooden fence so that the children will not stick their hands through the wire fence where the dogs are.”
Council voted 5-0 to move the Dog Park to Matthews Park and keep the ballpark for T-ball play.
Mayor Irvine commented, “That will satisfy the Little League.”
As for the citizens who complained during last month’s meeting about the 4-way-stop-signs that have been added recently on Church Street, Unroe informed Council that he has discussed the situation with his chief of police and head of maintenance and concluded that the signs are located where they should be.
He also informed Council that David Hill of the Virginia Housing Department has made a second trip to visit Jefferson School that became Clifton East Elementary School following the integration of the City of Clifton Forge’s schools in the late 1960s.
The plan to repurpose the school as a housing project will require a grant to be written, and Council discussed and approved via a 5-0 vote to apply to The Alleghany Foundation for financial assistance to hire a grant writer that will not exceed $5,000 compensation.
Mayor Irvine noted that the grant writer is to deal with one project only.
He said, “It’s specific for the Jefferson School only.”
Hill has agreed to work pro bono, and should the project cost more than the $5,000, the override will be donated according to Hill.
Council also voted 5-0 to approve a $100 per month salary raise for its members who are underpaid by comparison with the payments received by the Covington City’s council members and Alleghany County’s members of the board of supervisors.
It was pointed out during the discussion that Iron Gate’s town council members do not receive pay because they are volunteers.
Currently, Mayor Jeff Irvine is paid $375 per month, and Bob Umstead as Vice-Mayor receives $325 per month compared to the other Council members who receive $300 per month compensation.
Umstead pointed out that no one has complained about the amount of pay members receive.
He quipped, “I’m really shocked at how much Covington and Alleghany County members make.”
Vice-Mayor Umstead made the motion to increase the pay by $100 per month for each member of Council, and Dale Burdette seconded the motion that passed 5-0.
Jared Jenkins, the Town of Clifton Forge’s attorney, noted that Council needs to put the raise in the form of a resolution, and Council agreed to do so.
The pay raise that the Council approved will not take effect until Jan. of 2023.
Unroe encouraged members of the Council to welcome students who are coming to help the Town of Clifton Forge for a week during spring break, and he noted that the welcoming site is Oakhill Bible Church.
He also noted that the ambulance that the Town of Clifton Forge has ordered should be ready to serve the public by July 1, and it will be kept at the firehouse.
Unroe revealed that the work on the waterline at A Street Bridge would begin on March 15 with a completion date projected for mid-summer. Hammond & Mitchell is doing the work.
Earlier during the meeting, Susan Goings praised The Historic Masonic Theatre and informed those in attendance about the fundraiser that involves a time capsule that donors of $100 can contribute to by having something added to the inside of the capsule, something they select.
Using a projector, she shared several photos of the theatre and revealed a picture of the planter box that will be added beside the cornerstone of the theatre that reveals it was placed there on July 4, 1905.
Prior to Unroe’s report, Susan Hutchison, President of Main Street, honored two volunteers, Karen Buzzard and Janie Barnett, with special awards for their volunteerism.
Jenny Oeltjen made a presentation concerning the need for the town to get involved and stop the deterioration of the stone building located in Mountain View Cemetery that was built by the WPA in 1934. Council learned that the building was once used as a chapel and later on as a storage building.
The gist of her presentation was that action is needed to stop further deterioration of the building.
Council responded by agreeing to formally get involved and report back at its next meeting the way the Town of Clifton Forge will proceed.
Joan Vannorsdall made a presentation concerning The Historic Masonic Theatre and invited Council to attend events there.
Council voted 5-0 for a resolution to proclaim April as Clean Up month in the Alleghany Highlands.
Two non-elected representatives to the RVARC Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) Committee were appointed, and the Gran Fondo was approved for May 7. The Gran Fondo is a bicycle race sponsored by the Alleghany Highlands Chamber of Commerce & Tourism.
Members of the Council thanked volunteers for their service and stressed the importance of their work to help Clifton Forge be a better place to live.
Following the members’ comments, a motion to adjourn was passed 5-0, and Council proceeded to meet in a closed session.
UPDATES and Corrections March 19, 2022
There are two topics in the article reporting on the Clifton Forge Town Council meeting of Tuesday, March 8, 2022, that need some retraction.
1-when talking about my report concerning the Jefferson School Building, no one said that it was being developed into a housing project. What was said is that there is a developer-David Hill of Hill Studios in of Roanoke that has shown an interest in the building. He has visited the site twice and the second time he invited representatives from Virginia Housing and also his grant writer. The representatives from Virginia Housing had toured the building previously and made the suggestion that the town should apply for two grants from them totaling &30,000.00-$50,000.00 each. One would be for study of feasible future use and redevelopment of the building. The second on would be for an RFP to possibly attract more interest in the building. The one thing that has been stressed by both the town and Mr. Hill is that nothing can be done without community involvement. Once the feasibility and development suggestions come back the plan is to request community input and involvement. No plans have been solidified as of yet.
2-Council did not vote to approve themselves a $100.00 per month raise. What they did vote to approve is to hold a public hearing for input and consideration to amend the code to allow for the raise.
3- Joan Schroeder should be Joan Vannorsdall.
