Partnership leading town park project

By Wanda Combs
Editor

Council members agreed Thursday night to let the Partnership For Floyd take the reigns of leadership for the town park. 
The Partnership, comprised of local citizens, had expressed willingness early in park discussions to help with the project. Jack Wall and wife Kamala Bauers, members of the Partnership, were present at the Council meeting last week. Wall remarked that the Partnership had the “rug pulled out from under us.”
Communications between the groups, which had worked together as a “team,” seemed to have broken down. The Partnership was not notified and thus not present when an architect reported on the results of a charrette for the park.
Council member Michael Patton and vice-mayor Will Griffin had met with Partnership members prior to the meeting Thursday. Griffin made a recommendation for the Council to consider “bringing them back and embracing them as a partner” in the park project. He remarked that the Partnership would be a great help to the new town manager, Korene Thompson.
Patton said it had been his understanding as the Town moved forward with the park that the Partnership had taken the leadership role.
Bauers commented Thursday night that the Partnership realized they couldn’t do the needed fundraising without the plan for the park. “We are willing to work with the Town Council closely,” she said, adding “anybody can be a member in the Partnership For Floyd.”
Both groups agreed that Thompson would be involved in the process, but the Partnership would lead the park project in developing the design and fundraising.
“We are really appreciative,” Patton said. “I t is a nice partnership.”
No one spoke during a public hearing that began the meeting Thursday night. The hearing was to hear public comment on the proposed repeal of a town ordinance dealing with Local Vehicle License and the adoption and enactment of a Town Vehicle License Tax to become effective January 1, 2009. The proposal involves the elimination of decals.
Dave Gunn spoke during the public comments portion of the meeting last week. Gunn responded to a letter sent by the town and notifying him the town was refusing the subdivision of his property in town due to a survey not showing adequate parking. He said at the last meeting Council members had agreed to let the town manager sign off on the survey if it met requirements. He said according to the town ordinance, his existing parking satisfies the ordinance.
Also last Thursday, Thompson reported on information received from the Virginia Department of Transportation about possible crosswalks for Locust Street. Council members agreed to recommend one larger crosswalk area, instead of two crosswalks and wanted to make sure no parking places were lost as a result of the placement of the crosswalk area.
During the town manager’s report, Thompson also told Council “there are a lot of issues with illegal parking in town.” She said delivery trucks were parking in curbs and that cones put up in non-parking zones were getting run over. “We have some issues on safety.”