The Shadow
The Clifton Forge Town Council met on the evening of Tuesday, June 11, with several matters of business to discuss, and two public hearings that prefaced the regularly scheduled monthly meeting. The typically scarce meeting was largely attended by the public who were eager to
discuss water leaks, their monthly water bill which will soon be increasing, and to request street repairs in the alley behind Roxbury.
In attendance for the meeting were Mayor Jeff Irvine, Councilman Carl “Shorty” Wolfe, Councilwoman Debbie Laudermilk, Town Clerk Kyla Crosier, Town Manager Chuck Unroe, and Town Attorney Mike Lockaby. Councilman Benjamin W. Nicely and Vice Mayor Dale Burdette were both absent for the meeting.
Following the invocation and pledge of allegiance, the first public hearing took place to discuss the “disposition of property located on County Road which is owned by the Town of Clifton Forge.” Said property, according to Town Manager Chuck Unroe, is only accessible using
property owned by Clifton Forge local, Michael Nicholas. Nicholas, who reached out to the Town of Clifton Forge about his own property, was present to speak at the meeting. Nicholas had expressed interest in purchasing the lot owned by Clifton Forge, thus the purpose of the public
meeting.
“First of all, I’d like to thank you for the opportunity to be here…I became aware of this property next to it becoming available,” Nicholas said about the property owned by Clifton Forge, “and I felt it would be a nice opportunity to acquire it to add to the property that I currently have.”
Town Manager Chuck Unroe stated he had been given the chance to speak with Nicholas shortly before the meeting, but there still needed to be more conversation between council and Nicholas. Nicholas had stated he may be willing to make a trade with the town: the land for,
according to Unroe, “easement and right of way that we need along the river.” Nothing has yet been decided on the property.
The next order of business was to call the second public hearing into order which was for the Proposed Budget for the 2024-2025 fiscal year. Wendy Biggs, Finance Director for the Town of Clifton Forge, gave a breakdown of the budget and bills for the town of Clifton Forge which
included an ordinance to increase the monthly water bill to $41.80 from $40.80 and the monthly sewer fees to $71.20 from $70.20, thus increasing the monthly bill from $111 to $113.
For some Clifton Forge residents in attendance, the $2 monthly hike was unjust. “It was deemed that once the sewer plant was paid for, the sewer [bill] would go down. The sewer’s going up and our water’s going up,” said Church Street resident, John Moser.
“I don’t understand why we have to pay more than [Alleghany] County does when we furnish their water,” said resident Elwood Deisher. There was also discussion about some residents being unable to afford the increase because they were on disability and/or raising children and/or do not qualify for food stamps or other assistance from the department of social services.
However, according to Councilwoman Debbie Laudermilk and Town Manager Chuck Unroe, the increase in the water bill was necessary to enable the Town of Clifton Forge to pay for the growing cost of the chemicals to treat the water, pay the salaries of employees, and allow for inflation. On a side, but similar note, Councilman Carl “Shorty” Wolfe stated that Clifton Forge had the cleanest water in the state.
Veteran Bill Atherholt was also present to offer a few comments about the replica “Wall that Heals” coming to the Jackson River Sports Complex on October 3-6. The Jackson River Sports Complex is located at 870 West Edgemont Street in Covington. Atherholt passed out several cards allowing free parking for the event and included information about where one can send donations for the project. For more information, visit www.thewallthathealscovington.com.
Other business included:
— Approval of May minutes with the correction of Pastor Shane Hiner added, which was passed unanimously by council.
— Approve the department reports from the police department, public works, library, water plant, and fire department. There was no report available from code enforcement due to the vacant position. With the exception of the code enforcement report, all other reports were
approved as submitted and written.
— There were two ordinances to consider with the first being “To consider an ordinance repealing, amending and readopting ordinances relating to erosion and sediment control for the town of Clifton Forge, VA, and to consider an ordinance reenacting Chapter 2, Article V., Division 2, of the Code of the Town of Clifton Forge of 2015, as amended, changing the name of the industrial development authority of the town of Clifton Forge, Virginia, to the Economic Development Authority of Clifton Forge, Virginia.” It was unanimously voted by council to take it to a second meeting.
— There was a resolution “to correct the terms of office of the directors of the Industrial Development Authority of the Town of Clifton Forge, Virginia,” which was unanimously approved as is by the council.
— Council voted unanimously to approve the contract for the Town Manager for another two years.
— There was a request made by Clifton Forge local, Lamona West, to fly the Juneteenth flag from June 20-June 30 in front of Clifton Forge Town Hall this year and in years following. Council voted to approve the request this year as the law allowed and to revisit the issue later, giving them time to determine whether or not an ordinance could be made going forward.
