CATHERINE DOUGLASS County Attorney
BOWEN SAYS TEEFEY CALLED ORIGINAL PLAN UNACCEPTABLE
Nottoway Supervisors wasted little time Thursday night approving a $642,245 “budget amendment” that will let English Construction Company begin making “draw-downs” April 1st for a courthouse project — the details of which have yet to be publicly-disclosed.
County Administrator Steve Bowen reported that Chief Judge Joe Teefey met with Moseley Architects on Feb. 9th to review “the original concept for the courthouse…I don’t think it was really acceptable.”
Bowen added that according to Judge Teefey, “the Circuit Court Clerk needs to be adjacent to the Circuit Court. That way, they can make sure it’s a fair trial — evidence can be sent from Point A to Point B without being damaged and that type of thing.”
The Circuit Court Clerk’s Office is currently located — and has been for decades — adjacent and approximately 30 steps from the 1840 Circuit Courthouse.
Weekend Development With apparent help from Blackstone Councilman Eric Nash, District 2 Supervisor John Roark launched on online petition Saturday seeking support to make renovations at the courthouse complex rather than new construction. The petition can be found on John Roark’s Facebook page.
County Attorney Catherine Douglass said the budget adjustment is in accordance with Nottoway’s participation in the PPEA (Public Private Education & Infrastructure Act of 2002). “That interim agreement calls for English Construction to provide schematic drawings and work with the Judge and key stakeholders in preparing those — and so this reimbursement resolution allows the County to basically repay itself from general funds that it provides to English. It allows the County to repay itself from tax exempt financing that you guys might choose to receive later on. So that’s all this is.”
In addition to help from County Attorneys Douglass and Gary Elder of Elder, Friedman & Allen in Farmville, the County also is being assisted by attorney Mike Lockabee of Spilman, Thomas & Battle of Roanoke.
The Courier-Record is seeking to obtain a total of all legal fees spent to date on the proposed courthouse project and negotiations with judges.
Supervisor Daphne Norton provided a list of what the $642,245 covers: Schematic Drawings for 60 days, $282,450; Topographical Utility & Site Survey, $38,525; Geotechnical Report $28,125; 35% for design development for 90 days, $293,143.
“I’ve had complaints about the amount,” said Mrs. Norton. “So I want to break it down.”
Supervisor John Roark, who voted Thursday night for the budget amendment, has since launched an online petition drive on his Facebook page, seeking support for renovations at the courthouse complex rather than new construction. Roark’s online petition at presstime had received some 235 signatures.
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