Broadband authority wants to add connections more quickly

Nelson County:

“The Nelson County Broadband Authority is considering ways to escalate the speed of installations on and demand for the county’s network. According to a report provided by Baylor Fooks, of Blue Ridge InternetWorks, to the authority at its April 8 meeting, construction for each project is averaging more than 60 days.

 

‘This is a major obstacle to success and a source of a lot of frustration from customers,’ he said.

According to Fooks, installation for all customers in the Paul’s Creek area took six months to complete, and the recent installation at North Branch School took several months, as well. ‘There is no way to get accurate progress information from the contractor,’ Fooks said.”

~Writes Katherine Lacaze of the Nelson County Times

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Board OKs tower amendment, nixes scenic protection language

Nelson County:

“After months of deliberation and a lengthy discussion March 11, the Nelson County Board of Supervisors narrowly approved an amendment to the county’s communication tower ordinance. The board approved a repeal of almost all sections of the previous ordinance, Article 20 in the zoning code, and replaced them with new language that will reduce the requirements for a tower’s minimum setback from Virginia Scenic Byways and the Blue Ridge Parkway and serve as a comprehensive overhaul of previous tower classifications.

But the ordinance does not include proposed requirements that Nelson County Planning & Zoning Director Tim Padalino argued would help protect undeveloped mountain scenery in the county.”

~Writes Katherine Lacaze of Nelson County Times

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Service Authority moves forward with water program

Nelson County:

“The Nelson County Service Authority is approaching a new stage in the process of implementing a program that will help protect the public water supply from potential backflow hazards and drinking water contamination. Called a cross-connection and backflow prevention program, its implementation is a requirement of the Virginia Department of Health.

‘It’s all in the name of public safety and protecting our water supply,’ said George Miller, executive director of authority. According to the department of health, a cross connection is an actual or potential link between a drinking water system and any source of contamination. Backflow is the reversed flow of contaminated or other liquids into a drinking water system.

Miller said the implementation process was started about two years ago when he was directed to go to Albemarle County to check out its successful program. Now the authority is getting ready to survey certain customers in the distribution system to gather information on what is in place and what might need to be installed for the program.”

~Writes Katherine Lacaze of Nelson County Times

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