Roanoke Water Authority may Help Pay for New SML Water Plant

Bedford County

“Negotiations will continue into next month between water authorities in Bedford County and the Roanoke Valley to extend a buy-sell agreement into a working partnership. The discussion includes potential development of a new water treatment plant in Bedford County that would increase the amount of water drawn from Smith Mountain Lake and purchased by the Western Virginia Water Authority, which services Roanoke and Roanoke and Franklin counties.

An investment from the Roanoke-based authority would shoulder some of the Bedford Regional Water Authority’s burden in the project, which has an early projected price tag of $34 million. A draft agreement could come before each authority’s board as early as February. The costs and logistics for the facility and interconnecting lines will be examined by Black & Veatch Corp. in a study commissioned by the Bedford authority on Tuesday. The examination includes a potential line running from the new facility in Moneta to Bedford along Virginia 122, and then along U.S. 460 to Forest, where service is provided through water purchased from Lynchburg.”

~Writes Alex Rohr of the Roanoke Times

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County Asks Legislators for Ability to Compel Residents to Tie into Utilities

Gloucester County

“Gloucester County is once again asking the Virginia General Assembly to allow it to have the ability to require its residents to connect to county water and sewer if hookups are available. The request was listed as the top priority to be sent to Del. Keith Hodges (R-Middlesex) and State Sen. Tommy Norment (R-Williamsburg) to be considered for legislation in the coming session. The Gloucester County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution in March 2012, requesting consideration of the matter by the General Assembly.

This year, Gloucester went a step further. The board took a different approach, asking the General Assembly to allow all localities in the commonwealth which own and maintain their own water and sewer systems to have the ability to require residents to connect to the system where it is available and where the elected governing body is in control of the utilities system.”

~Writes Quinton Sheppard of the Gazette-Journal

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Supervisors Vote to Spend $11 Million Burying Power Lines in Woodbridge

Prince William County

“Part of the clutter marring the overhead scenery along U.S. 1 in Woodbridge– about 80 aging utility poles – will be removed in coming months, thanks to a Prince William County Board of Supervisors’ decision this week. The board voted Tuesday to spend about $11 million in county reserve funds to bury the lines from Mary’s Way to the Fairfax County line.

The work will be conducted in conjunction with a Virginia Department of Transportation project to widen the northern most stretch of U.S. 1 in Prince William County, which is set to begin next year and be completed in 2016. The board’s decision, approved in a five to three vote, comes two weeks after some Woodbridge residents addressed the board to ask that something be done about the unsightly poles, many of which have deteriorated and are leaning onto one another.”

~Writes InsideNova

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Fluvanna Supervisors at Odds Over Approved Aqua Virginia Deal

Fluvanna County

“Some Fluvanna supervisors are fired up after Wednesday night's board meeting. The Fluvanna County Board of Supervisors voted to approve a controversial $20 million Aqua Virginia proposal, even though the issue wasn't on the agenda.

Supervisor Donald Weaver called what happened "the shadiest deal the county has ever performed.” And he isn't the only supervisor upset about the unexpected motion. Vice Chair Bob Ullenbruch says he was caught off-guard when fellow board member Joseph Chesser unexpectedly put the motion on the table during old business at the end of the meeting. The vote came so late, most of the public and media had already left.”

~Reports NBC29

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Henrico Supervisors Hear about Reservoir, Tell about Legislative Goals

Henrico County

“The Henrico County Board of Supervisors heard an update on a contentious reservoir plan Tuesday evening. Officials are moving ahead with the project in Cumberland County, which is intended to be a 50-year water solution for the county and is being constructed in cooperation with Powhatan and Cumberland counties. The planned Cobbs Creek Reservoir’s environmental costs are being made up for by paying the state to protect streams inside Cumberland State Forest, a move that caused some to cry foul.”

~Writes Ted Strong of Richmond Times Dispatch

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Charlottesville Planning Commission takes First Pass at Capital Budget

City of Charlottesville

“The Charlottesville Planning Commission started its review of the city’s capital improvement budget Tuesday. City departments submitted more than $9.5 million in projects for next fiscal year, but a committee of city employees is recommending funding only $2.1 million.”

~Writes Sean Tubbs of Charlottesville Tomorrow

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Biomass Power Plant opens in "Wood Basket" of Virginia, Halifax County

Halifax County

“Squeaks and crackles at a new power plant mean jobs, revenue, and energy for Halifax County. ‘This project really represents a classic example of Virginia's resources being used for the benefit of Virginians,’ said Sheldon Petersen with the Cooperative Finance Corporation, and a speaker at a grand opening luncheon held earlier in the day. The new facility is called South Boston Energy, owned and operated by Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative, or NOVEC, based in Northern Virginia. Nearly every part of it is recycled. It's fueled by wood chips from logging companies called ‘slash’.”

~Reports Justin Ward of WDNJ7

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