Wednesday, January 05, 2005
Sewer fix growing complicated
The town manager wants to keep his staff out of decisions on the sewer.
BLACKSBURG - The first phase of Blacksburg Town Council's latest effort to fix the town's sewer capacity problems is under way and it's already getting complicated.
Town Manager Gary Huff told council members at Tuesday's work session that seven engineering firms submitted proposals to study the town's sewer system. Councilwoman Joyce Lewis wanted town engineers to evaluate the proposals, but Huff disagreed. "The whole issue has been that staff was going down the wrong path. I prefer to keep staff out of it," he said.
Council's support for an unpopular gravity sewer in the least-developed part of town was a major issue in last May's council election, which swept out two pro-sewer candidates. Some residents accused some members of the engineering staff of bias in advocating one sewer option over others.
Lewis, who wasn't up for re-election in May, also supported the gravity sewer. She said Tuesday that keeping staff out of the process was "a copout."
Councilman Tom Sherman suggested that a subcommittee of council members and members of a yet-to-be-appointed utilities committee evaluate the proposals.
Huff advised appointing only two council members to avoid open-meeting requirements.
"You can't negotiate with these firms in public," Huff said after the meeting. "They would all back away or you wouldn't get full answers if they knew what they said was going to be public."
Councilman Don Langrehr argued that the meetings should be public, but the majority took Huff's advice. Council asked Mayor Roger Hedgepeth to pick the subcommittee.
