Current Issues Committee members of South Boston Town Council on Monday

evening heard plans for a public hearing at their upcoming May 12

meeting to receive comment on a recommendation to revoke a special use

permit which was issued to Mr. Robert Pulliam of "The Shop" in the

Riverdale area back in November of 2006.

Town Manager and Planning Director Ted Daniel explained to committee

members that the one of the conditions attached to the special use

permit called for the parking area in front of the business to be paved

within one year after the permit was issued. That has not been done,

Daniel told Council, and apparently there are no plans to pave the

area, he said. When questioned about whether or not, a revocation would

result in the closing of the business, Daniel responded that the owner

could still carry out retail sales at The Shop, but he would not be

able to do repair work or painting of vehicles.

In other business Councilman Chris Elliott, who is not seeking

re-election to Council in next week's May elections, asked his fellow

Council members if they wanted him to continue to service on the Joint

Vehicle Decal Committee which is working to eliminate decals and

instead add the fee to the personal property tax bills, starting in

2009. Other Council members responded that they would like for Elliott

to continue to serve since he had background knowledge of the process.

Committee members also heard a review of the success of the Town's

establishment of rental inspection districts several years ago. Four

districts were set up, the first on North Main Street from Broad north

to Hamilton, the second district was in McCanless Park; the third in

the area east of North Main Street, and west of John Randolph Boulevard

with the fourth district being west of North Main Street and east of

Wilborn Avenue.

Public Works Director Allen Auld termed the program which had resulted

in the removal of some 50 houses as being "very successful." He

explained that at first his crew had seen some terrible conditions,

houses with mold on the walls, inoperable bathrooms, etc.

Daniel added that the Town had been lucky to be able to offer good

affordable housing to first time home owners through the SunnyBrooke

project and he hopes to be able to get funds for 20 more lots where the

Southside Outreach group can build more homes and rotate rental

families there.

A public hearing has been scheduled for May 19 to establish two

additional rental inspection districts, the first being in the area

east of River Road and west of the western town limits. That area is

bounded on the south by Old Grubby Road and on the north by the

northern Town limits. It includes, but is not limited to, Woodlawn Park

and Westside area.

The second new proposed rental inspection district is the area east of

Wilborn Avenue, bounded on the west by the Norfolk-Southern Railroad

right-of-way and on the north by Hamilton Boulevard. It includes, but

is not limited to Noblin Avenue, Watkins Avenue and Sutphin Avenue and

the surrounding streets.

Finance panel members heard Finance Director Erle Scott report on the

Town's up-to-date budget which he termed "looks good," with revenues

possibly exceeding budget projections and expenses slightly below

projections.

Members of both committees were reminded that a public hearing is

scheduled for their regular monthly meeting on May 12 on the Town's

advertised total $9.5 million for the coming FY 2008-09. The proposed

budget is three percent less than that of the current year with most of

the decrease coming from the closure of the landfill.

A second public hearing has been scheduled for May 19 on the proposed

19 cents per $100 value of real estate. While the rate remains the

same, there is an average increase of about 11 percent, which is the

average amount that real property in the Town increased during the past

year's reassessment.