PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
SPECIAL CALL MEETING
2:30 PM
TUESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2013
Please note the correction to the agenda – the meeting will be held in the
CONFERENCE Room of the Captain Martin Building
WEDNESDAY, January 23, 2013 at 2:30pm.
CAPTAIN MARTIN BUILDING
1 CENTER STREET
CHATHAM, VIRGINIA
AGENDA
1. Call to Order
2. Roll Call
3. Pledge of Allegiance
NEW BUSINESS
4. Uranium Mining Bills
a) Discussion of House Bill 1804, Senate Bill 919; House Bill 2330, Senate Bill 1353; and discussion of a possible resolution to be considered by the Board.
(b) Asset Forfeiture – Commonwealth’s Attorney
(c) Chatham Train Depot Agreement
Adjournment
KMComments: absent from the meeting. However, there will be a special called meeting tomorrow, Wed. Jan. 23rd at 2:30 PM of the Captain Martin Building where discussion of the House and Senate uranium severance tax bills and House and Senate uranium regulation bill will be discussed as well as a potential resolution.
Mrs. Bowman announced that SB 919 will be heard at 9 am tomorrow so any discussion would be "after the fact" on that bill. Supervisor Barksdale wisely asked for legal counsel regarding the meeting because of concern that the meeting could be construed as endorsement of the bills.
County Attorney Vaden Hunt said the in order to avoid that misconception that it would have to be stated as that. Bowman and Ecker expressed concern that they may be handed a resolution minutes prior to the called meeting and felt time was needed to read and digest its contents.
Although not certain, I feel the resolution will be available by morning and will send it out.
Hearing of the citizens...Deborah Lovelace questioned the 3 % severance tax. Also, a gentleman who has frequently spoken in favor of uranium mining at hearing of the citizens said he now ha his doubts. I had remarks that were to have been directed to Harville. He was not there so modifications were needed. Original notes are below:
"On Monday in the RTD, Sen. Watkins stated his proposed legislation "effectively restricts uranium mining and milling to Coles Hill" and that this should "reassure those who fear that uranium operations would crop up across the commonwealth". Fear? If uranium mining is as desirable as Watkins tries to assert, why should other municipalities fear that it may be in their neighborhoods?
He also stated that the final authority to approve the Coles Hill project will remain in the hands of the Pittsylvania Co. BOS. However, he did not elaborate on the role of the BOS.
Watkins letter seemed a follow-up to Sup. Harville's Jan. 17th letter. Mr. Harville indicates that a "special use process" is needed to receive the approval of the local governing body to proceed with projects like uranium mining. To which local governing body is he referring? According to state code and the county's zoning ordinance, a special use permit is issued by the court appointed BZA after clearing the political appointees of the planning commission. This appears to take decision-making away from the BOS and the citizens of Pittsylvania County.
Mr. Harville states that the GA was only asked to determine what regulations would govern uranium mining should WE, the local community most affected by the project, decide to allow u mining. Most affected? Interesting choice of words.
It is not clear who he considers to be the local community and how he intends for whomever the "local community most affected" to decide if they want uranium mining.
Is he referring to the Special Use Process or perhaps the local option process where a petition is filed with a circuit court signed by 10% of registered voter to be put on a ballot and passed by 51% of the of the voters? Has he something else in mind?
Up until this point, Mr. Harville has stated that the decision to mine uranium lies with the GA. Now he's saying he has been meeting with delegates and Senators in Richmond to emphasize the importance of this project to our region. Perhaps he should consider a column Star Tribune so his constituent can read about what he does.
It is reckoning time, and I reckon this Board needs to make some decisions.
I am asking that Mr. Harville, through Mr. Ecker, chairman of the Board as stated in the bylaws, to ask Mr. Harville to explain the process to which he alludes that would give citizens the right to determine whether or not uranium mining and milling will occur in Pittsylvania County. Then, this Board needs to know how to legally proceed if Virginia stupidly writes and adopts regulations for uranium mining.
One more question Chairman Ecker, Mr. Ecker. Mr. Harville refers to anti-mining zealots in his RTD editorial.
For the sake of clarity, are the Sen. Ruff, Sen. Stanley, Delegates Danny Marshall, Del. Don Merricks, Danville City Council and physicians working in Danville and Pittsylvania County included in his list of zealots?"
I have no idea whatsoever as to what tomorrow's meeting will bring. There may be a later mailing of news tonight.
