Town council notebook

By Jeff Poole
Review Managing Editor
Published: October 9, 2008

Water rate adjustment
The Gordonsville Town Council unanimously adopted a 10-cent usage rate increase for in-town water users at its meeting last month.
The town’s unit water rate is evaluated annually in August and adjusted in September. Gordonsville purchases its water from the Rapidan Service Authority who purchases it from the Town of Orange.
The Town of Orange calculated a unit rate to RSA of $2.438 per 1,000 gallons, which is an increase of about eight cents. Historically, that increase is passed on to the Town of Gordonsville, which passes it on to its water customers. The town expects the RSA rate to go from $3.06 per 1,000 gallons to $3.14 per 1, 000 gallons.
Following a public hearing at the September council meeting, where two citizens spoke, the town adopted a 10-cent in-town water user increase, and passed a 15-cent base rate increase for out-of-town water customers.
Gordonsville Mayor Bob Coiner explained the town is still feeling the effects of the departure of Liberty Fabrics, which essentially subsidized the town’s water system.
“Liberty paid for more than half of the town’s water,” he said. “The second they closed, all the bills came due on the 680 families left in town who went from paying for 50 percent of the town’s water to all of it.”
Additionally, the town, in an effort to repair an aging water line at the western edge of town (Tabernacle Road), adopted a base rate increase of $5 for in-town users and $7.50 for out-of-town customers.
Base rates for in-town residential and commercial water customers will increase from $15.65 (for the first 1,000 gallons) to $20.65.  Out-of-town residential and commercial water customers will see their rate increase from $25.65 to $33.15 (for the first 1,000 gallons.)
Revenue generated from the increase is expected to cover bond payments on a $250,000 loan through the Virginia Resource Authority for town capital water projects.
Gordonsville Mayor Bob Coiner explained the project was needed to bring the Tabernacle line up to the standard of most of the rest of the town’s water system.
“Basically, we have a new water system,” he said. “We couldn’t say that 15 years ago.”
However, the Tabernacle line is clogged and antiquated, he said, and needs to be replaced to effectively loop the water system on the town’s western end.
But South Main Street resident Robert Sharp spoke up during the public hearing and noted the line down his street dead-ends and doesn’t loop back to the rest of the system.
“South Main still has a dead-end line that needs to be addressed,” he told the council during the public hearing. “You’re spending money somewhere else but you’ve got other lines in town you need to fix. Fix the darn line so people can have safer water.”

Vacant council seat
The town council later discussed the council seat vacated when vice-mayor Steve Irving died this summer. Three candidates had expressed interest in the seat including Irving’s wife Shirley and former council members Tim Ferguson and Pete Zahn.
Councilmembers agreed all were worthwhile candidates and any would be strong additions to council.
“We’re not voting ‘against’ anyone,” Coiner said. “There will be other elections. I don’t want to turn anyone off. I’d love it if we always had an experienced core of council members and the rest of the town could all serve. Then, they could see we care, and some of the time it takes besides the meeting. The meeting is the smallest part of what we do. I’d love for everyone to come through and do this for a couple years to see what we do.”
Ultimately, the council voted unanimously 6-0 to support Zahn’s application to fulfill Irving’s unexpired term which ends in 2010.

Veterans Parade
The town announced the second veterans parade would be he held Saturday, Nov. 8 at 2 p.m.

High Street railroad crossing
High Street resident James Hiter asked the council what it could do about the railroad grade crossing on High Street.
Town manager Sabrina Martyn said Buckingham Branch Railroad officials said the crossing was on their work list, but could not give the town a date for completion.
Hiter said the problem was exacerbated by the perpetual tractor-trailer traffic since the town moved trucks from Main Street to High Street.
Coiner sympathized, but said, “We’re not king. It’s frustrating for us too. We’re trying to bug them to death.”

Airport sinkhole
Martyn reported that the Department of Aviation has granted the town’s grant request to fix a sinkhole at the Gordonsville Airport. The project will cost $111,000, with the town responsible for 20 percent ($22,200).

Town T-21 projects
The town’s East Baker Street T-21 sidewalk project is pending VDOT review. Martyn reported not enough grant funds remain to complete the project, which would improve the sidewalk from Main Street, along Baker to East Street. Once the town gets a handle on the project scope and budget, it can decide whether it wants to finish the project with town forces or not finish the project and turn those funds into other town T-21 projects.
Martyn also reported the town needs another $120,000 to finish the relocated freight depot near the Gordonsville Exchange Hotel and Civil War Museum. Another round of grant applications is due Nov. 1. Martyn said the town could word its application so that the bulk of the town’s contribution (a 20 percent match is required) could come from in-kind architectural and engineering services.
Ideally, she said, the town could get enough money to stabilize the structure so Historic Gordonsville Inc. (which owns the depot) could pursue future improvements though private donations to complete interior restoration.