The Shadow
Iron Gate Mayor Charles “Chuck” Unroe announced to the Iron Gate Town Council on Thurs., Sept. 29, that the Town will receive $7,630.28 in true-up funds from its wastewater agreement with Alleghany County
The contract with Alleghany County is based on usage, and the true-up funds will be forthcoming.
Unroe also reported that the grant that has been submitted to the Office of Drinking Water has not yet been funded but that it has moved to the final round for grants that will be considered for funding.
The grant, if funded, will help address the pressure reducer and valves issue to improve the Town’s infrastructure.
Unroe has met with an official from the Appalachian Regional Commission to assist in revising an engineer’s report that will save time and money, should an engineering report be required to receive the funding needed.
Concerning the $50,000 that has been estimated for the cost of using a camera system to examine and evaluate the working sewer system, the grant, if funded, would not be a matching grant. Unroe noted that the Town has $250,000 in reserve to improve infrastructure.
Councilman Gary Craig and Unroe participated in a webinar concerning securing grant money.
Craig reported, “My take from it is that it is a good fit for us.”
He concluded, “The webinar was helpful, and I’m optimistic that this will be a very good thing for us.”
A lawsuit against the Town of Iron Gate has been filed by a resident because a judge determined that the Town had been using part of her property for storm drainage, namely a part of her garden, yard and garage.
Joshua Baker, an attorney from Virginia Beach, has presented the plaintive with a bill for $145,000 for his legal services, but the property owned by the plaintive including the dwelling has been valued at only $60,000.
A discussion was held by Town Attorney Jared Jenkins with members of council concerning the damages that the plaintive is claiming, and according to Jenkins, the plaintive has not paid any of the attorney’s fees as of yet.
The Town’s plan is to access the damages to the property by March or April of 2023, and Jenkins noted that based on the value of the property in question that the $145,000 attorney’s fee does not line up with the value of the property and damage done to it.
In other business, Unroe noted that the Town has received permission from The Alleghany Foundation to relocate crepe myrtle that is blocking motorist’s view in strategic areas in Town to the Iron Gate Park where the flowers will be replanted.
He also noted that Beautification Day has been set for Sat., Oct. 8, and he invited all present to lend a helping hand.
Unroe reported that the winter flags will be displayed in Nov., and he observed that the cleanup on Beautification Day will help accentuate the placement of the flags.
At the beginning of the meeting, Council approved the Aug. 25 meeting’s minutes and Sept. 17 work session’s minutes without making any changes by a 5-0 vote.
Vice-Mayor Craig Erskine led the group in prayer and the “Pledge of Allegiance” after Unroe called the meeting to order.
Unroe praised the Kiwanis Club’s effort to make books available in rural communities and urged those who use the books at the book stations to return them and to donate a book for others to read.
Craig made a motion to adjourn the meeting, and Erskine seconded the motion which was passed by a 5-0 vote.
