The Shadow
WARM SPRINGS — The Bath County Courthouse will turn 100 years old next year.
It will be receiving a facelift prior to that centennial celebration.
Tuesday night, a divided Bath County Board of Supervisors voted to seek requests for proposals for Phase I of these refurbishments that includes courthouse renovations and exterior painting.
By a vote of 3-2, supervisors approved a motion by Cliff Gilchrest to advertise for RFPs. As suggested by County Administrator Ashton Harrison, “staff will not insert dates or solicit the RFPs until affirmative action is received from the (court).
Supervisors Bart Perdue and Claire Collins cast the dissenting votes on Gilchrest’s motion.
Collins asked the board to table action until the Nov. 12 meeting so the circuit court could review the plans and give them its blessing.
“Technically out of courtesy for the judge, the judge should have seen preliminary plans and said he was fine with them,” Collins said. “I would think we would be going ahead and making sure of the whole project so that he is well aware of it. I’m well aware that he has not seen these (plans) and said that they are acceptable.”
Gilchrest countered that he, the judge and several other county officials attended a meeting several months ago to discuss the proposed renovations.
“My recollection is the judge was particularly grateful for the conversation,” Gilchrest said. “I want to make sure that we are open and transparent with the judge and that we include him as much as we can, which I think we have done.”
Gilchrest said he recalled an attorney general’s opinion from several years ago that stated the judge has total jurisdiction over the courtroom and its auxiliary space, but the board of supervisors has authority over the rest of the courthouse.
“The judge, as I understand it, has say-so over the courtroom and his meeting chambers, but the courthouse is the responsibility of the board of supervisors as they deem appropriate,” Chairman Bruce McWilliams explained. “Certainly we want to include the judge in that conservation, but that is my understanding of the conversations we’ve had over the last year.”
Phase I of the project includes interior renovations to the ground floor of the building to provide for the relocation of the Mountain Soil and Water Conservation and Virginia Cooperative Extension offices. It also includes Americans with Disabilities Act upgrades to the existing public restrooms on all levels, minor site improvements for ADA compliance and painting of all exterior woodwork and trim.
The project includes reworking the parking lot and restriping for additional handicapped parking spaces and a new handicapped ramp.
Phase II of the project deals with renovations to the courtroom and space for the judge.
Gilchrest originally introduced a motion to proceed with the request for RFPs. He later amended his motion to insert the appropriate dates and solicit for RFPs after the court’s approval.
Collins countered with a substitute motion to table action until regular meeting on Nov. 12.
“I feel like we’re doing it backward,” Collins said. “Technically, staff should have already consulted with him and this should not have been placed on the agenda until all the I’s are dotted and the T’s are crossed and made sure everything is done appropriately.”
In other business Tuesday night, supervisors:
— entertained several comments from the public regarding the future of the transfer station, monitoring Dumpster sites in the county and concerns about transporting garbage to the Covington landfill;
— scheduled a Nov. 22 work session to review RFPs for municipal solid waste and recycling;
— scheduled an Oct. 30 meeting with the Highland County Board of Supervisors to discuss stormwater management;
— approved a National Association of Counties initiative to request reauthorization by the U.S. Senate of the Workforce Investment Act.
