Solid waste hauling cost set

 

Transporting solid waste from the County's transfer station on Plywood

Drive in South Boston to the Mecklenburg County Regional landfill will

cost the County about $1,000 per day (five days a week). That service

will begin when the transfer station is completed in late July or early

August according to County Administrator Bryan Foster.

Foster confirmed details of the contract on Monday night during the

regular monthly meeting of County Supervisors who accepted the bid from

Virginia Carolina Paving to haul the solid waste.

Virginia Carolina submitted the low bid of $167 per load while the high

bid for the service came in at $289 per load. Foster said in

advertising for the service, the County had "carved out" the fuel cost,

noting that fuel would be paid separately at the going price for the 80

mile round trip, which at current prices would add another $52 per trip

(based on 15 gallons per trip). Foster estimated that the hauler would

have to make four to five trips per day. The contract is good for a

three year period at which time it will be revisited.

In other business, Supervisors heard from Reassessor Harold

Throckmorton who they had asked to come to the meeting to explain the

reassessment process. Throckmorton told Board members that he is

closely regulated by the state department of taxation and that land

values are basically set by sales of property and new construction

throughout the County. He said for the first time ever, he believed,

larger tracts of land were selling for a higher per acre price than

smaller tracts. And he said, cutover land s bringing between $1,000 and

$2,000 per acre.

ED#4 Supervisor Doug Bowman questioned Throckmorton about the average

12 to 14 percent increases in residental properties in the urban areas

and the 24 to 28 percent hikes in larger farm properties. "It's just

the market," Throckmorton responded, adding that people have been

willing to pay $3,000 per acre. He noted that land in the northern end

of the county in the Roanoke and Staunton districts had been affected

by sales to the Amish who were paying $3,000 per acre.

ED#5 Supervisor James Edmunds questioned the increases as he noted that

across the state and the nation real estate sales have dropped by 18 to

19 percent. But Throckmorton said he had not seen any local real estate

sales prices drop below their assessed values.

Throckmorton said his office had 498 appointments to review the recent

assessments dealing with appeals of 2,033 parcels. Of that number

changes were made to 1,080 parcels with 47 of those resulting in

increases to the original reassessment. Many of the changes, he said,

resulted from having sold timber off the land or buildings being

removed.

Following Throckmorton's presentation, Douglas Powell, chairman of the

County's Board of Equalization said 70 residents appealed 192 of their

reassessments to his board. Of that number 124 were residential

properties, located on 20 acres or less. He said of that number 21 were

reduced and only one increased. Twelve appeals were made on commercial

properties with three of those being reduced. Of the 56 agricultural

properties of over 20 acres appealed, 15 were reduced and four were

increased by small amounts.

"The Board of Equalization in no way sets the assessments and can not

change the methods of assessment or the general results. He urged

Supervisors to promote good communications between themselves and the

Assessment Office to help the public develop more confidence in the

work that is being done.

Joining Powell in the presentation were two other members of the Board

of Equalization, Carter Hicks and Rosemary Ramsey. Ramsey, he noted, is

serving the last year for which she is eligible to be on the board, and

he reminded Supervisors that one member of the board has to have

professional real estate experience, which Mrs. Ramsey has.

Earlier in their meeting Supervisors approved a rezoning request for

three parcels of land totaling 3.6 acres for Albert and Mary Vaughan.

The land which is located at the intersection of Memorial Drive and US

Route 501 south will be used for commercial purposes. They also

approved a one year extension for SBA II, LLC for a tower site to be

located on the southside of Bellevue Road, about two-tenths mile east

of its intersection with US Route 360.