South Boston Town Council, meeting prior to the regular monthly
committee session, on Monday evening approved a request from Halifax
Regional Hospital for the issuance of a revenue bond, not to exceed $20
million by the Charlotte County Industrial Development Authority. The
funds will be used for capital improvements to the hospital, including
two new levels to the East Tower estimated to cost some $14 million.
Other improvements include renovations to the emergency room department
estimated to run around $500,000 and more renovations to the labor and
delivery, nursery and post-partum area at a cost of $700,000. Another
$500,000 is estimated for expanded parking and a helipad and another
$1.5 million for additional elevators.
Chief Financial Director Stewart Nelson told Council "We are very
excited about the expansion, " and he noted that the hospital asked the
Charlotte County IDA to issue the bonds since both the Halifax County
IDA and that of South Boston already had previous commitments which
would prohibit them from providing the funding. On a motion by
Councilman Coleman Speece and seconded by Vice Mayor Ed Owens, the
measure was passed unanimously. (Council member Sandra Thompson was
absent from the meeting.)
Following Council's one item agenda, Finance members considered a
request from the town Fire Department, asking that $5,000 be carried
over for the replacement of equipment and another $1,762.36 for first
responder supplies. The funds for both were included in the last year's
budget but due to some delays the bills did not come in in time to be
paid during the past fiscal year. Alan Auld, Public Works Director also
asked that $315,566 be carried over to the current year's budget to pay
for storm water projects which are being carried out, but which were
not completed at the end of the fiscal year.
Finance Director Erle Scott asked finance panel members to give
permission for the Town to publish the delinquent real estate tax
lists. Scott said he had a list totaling about $44,000 in unpaid real
estate taxes, but after recently sending out a letter to those who had
not paid, he had collected about $5,000 of that amount. That letter
advised residents that they have until September 4 to pay the past due
taxes in order that their names will not be listed in the newspaper.
Scott also reported that general fund expenses had exceeded revenues
during the month of July 13.5 percent to 5.2. Revenues in the water and
sewer also dropped below expenses 9.8 percent to 11 percent. However,
revenues in the landfill closure fund exceeded expenses by ten percent.
"July," according to Scott "is traditionally a month where expenses
tend to exceed revenues."
Members of the Current Issues Committee were advised that a consultant
with Joyce Engineering had been asked to review information about the
Town's landfill to determine if the landfill might have adversely
affected a groundwater drinking well after a North Main Street resident
complained about it last month. But Jason Young of Joyce said "based on
the groundwater flow direction and the distance from the landfill to
North Main Street, it is unlikely that the conditons at the landfill
caused physical damage to a water supply well located along North Main
Street."