The Shadow
On the evening of May 16, the town of Clifton Forge held their monthly, third Thursday, Community Gathering at the Historic Masonic Theatre. At promptly 6:30 PM, Eddie Graham —director of Jackson River’s Governor School— kicked off the meeting with a warm introduction to attendees. “The purpose of the gatherings is to involve the community in the improvement of our town, particularly making it a better place to live, work, play, and do business,” Graham said.
Town Manager Chuck Unroe then took his place behind the podium to begin the night’s presentation, first introducing Randy Watson of Thrasher Engineering Group. Thrasher was hired to assist the town with several projects, including the replacement of the broken Smith Creek water line in Clifton Forge which has caused several residents’ water pressure to be significantly lower than usual.
Watson, having spent 40 years in his trade, came ready to answer questions from the town regarding the broken water line and what it would take to replace it. The broken water line, as Watson pointed out, was put in place “years and years ago” and had run its natural course. Randy Watson said that he had worked on several big projects and small ones akin to the Smith Creek water line break and referred to it as a “relatively simple job” that shouldn’t disrupt the residents of Clifton Forge while it is being repaired.
At that point, Unroe took to the podium to discuss each of the representatives on the stage, what they do, and how they all work together for the betterment of the town of Clifton Forge. “The administration of the town is divided up into three basic layers: the first layer is the town council. Town council consists of five individuals elected by the registered voters of Clifton Forge… the second layer of management is me,” Unroe said, who was appointed to his position by the Town Council. “…I serve as the chief administrative officer of the town… the third layer is the department heads. These are the people you see sitting up here tonight.”
According to Unroe, each department head is appointed by the Town Manager. Unroe then introduced them all by name and title. They are: Wendy Biggs, Director of the Finance Department; Robert Boyd, Manager of the Clifton Forge Fire Department and Emergency Medical Services; Scott Balser, Police Chief for the Town of Clifton Forge; Michael Barnes, Manager of the Clifton Forge Public Library; Tony Kimberlin, Director of the Water Treatment Plant; Chris Keyser, Director of the Public Works Department; and Amanda Gunter, Assistant Director of the Public Works Department. Unroe says that the town of Clifton Forge has 42 employees and that the 7 he introduced keeps the town running.
Afterwards, the town manager answered several questions that had been written out on note cards. Upon entering the establishment for the Community Gathering, each local is offered a note card and afforded the opportunity to write out their question for Council. One such question was from a concerned citizen who expressed their grievance over the graffiti in town and asked if Council had any ideas on how to clean it up and/or prevent it. Unroe stated that it is best to contact local authorities if/when a resident witnesses an act of vandalism, noting that “posting it to Facebook doesn’t solve anything.” Equally, it is “unhelpful to discuss it with law enforcement in passing or call to report it several days later.”
Finally, Unroe discussed the numerous complaints they receive about code enforcement both from “those on the right side” and “those on the wrong side.” Essentially, those on the wrong side have stated they feel “picked on” and “singled out,” while those on the right side wonder why the town isn’t “acting quicker to beautify the town.” Unroe said that the town merely sees a problem, sends out a notice, gives the property owner ample time to correct the issue, and then acts accordingly if the problem isn’t corrected. For example, overgrown grass —if not corrected by the owner in the allotted time— will then be mowed by the town with the bill being sent to the owner.
Shortly after, the meeting was adjourned, with a friendly reminder that the next monthly meeting would again be held on the third Thursday of the month. For June, that date would be the 20th.
