Attorney Carl Boggess was appointed Bedford County Administrator by Bedford County Supervisors on Jan. 25.
The Bedford County Board of Supervisors announced the decision to hire Boggess at its regularly scheduled meeting in the County Administration Building. Boggess, the county’s attorney, has been interim administrator since the previous administrator, Mark Reeter, left the post at the end of April 2015.
“I look forward to the challenges of the position,” Boggess said, adding he was pleased to be appointed to the job.
Supervisors appointed Patrick Skelley county attorney. Skelley previously served as senior assistant county attorney.
The board interviewed several candidates for the county administrator position but called off the search in September to await installation of new board members in January.
Boggess has been employed by the county for about 14 years and expressed interest in the job last year after Reeter’s departure.
Supervisors also voted Jan. 25 to allow Bedford County employees to bring their guns to work if they have a permit to carry concealed weapons. The change to the county policy was approved unanimously.
Other weapons, including knives, are still banned, according to meeting documents. The county’s insurance carrier said the rule change will not impact premiums.
“I don’t really want them carrying grenades,” Supervisor John Sharp said during the meeting.
The issue was first raised by newly-elected supervisor Tommy Scott at the board’s Jan. 11 meeting. People visiting the County Administration Building and other county facilities are allowed to carry weapons, Scott said Jan. 11.
The policy change gives employees the same right.
Lynchburg city and Campbell County government do not prevent employees from carrying concealed guns, Boggess said.
The board also approved forwarding a letter to Attorney General Mark Herring, the Virginia Senate and House of Delegates voicing its displeasure at his decision to stop recognizing concealed handgun permits from 25 states.
Before the regularly scheduled board meeting, supervisors received an update from representatives of designers, Moseley Architects, and school board members. The group presented a proposal for a 136,000-square-foot middle school and answered questions.
Presenters told supervisors the proposed design has a price tag of $51 million. The number brought some surprise and dismay from the board, which was gave the school division a $38 million threshold last June.
“We want to really design it for the future,” school board chairman Gary Hostutler said.
Supervisor John Sharp said he understood building beauty is important, but $38 million is all the county can afford.
“I see a lot of niceties,” Sharp said. “A lot of things you would like to have, and I understand that, but maybe we can’t have everything we want.”
Supervisor Andy Dooley said he understood the project was expensive, but wanted to make the right decision on the project.
“This county has a very high batting average of saying, ‘I wished I would have,’” Dooley said.
The board plans to discuss whether it will provide additional funds for the project at its Feb. 8 meeting.
The board also approved four building permits and zoning changes during its meeting:
- Renew Auto Wash was granted a special use permit to open a car wash adjacent to Kroger in Forest. The site is located along Forest Road, approximately a quarter-mile west of the intersection with Burnbridge Road.
- The board approved a request to rezone an area across from the intersection of Homestead Drive and Performance Road from medium-density residential to commercial. Foster Builders Inc. plans to build a 30 foot by 80 foot building and a 234 foot by 77 foot screened storage area. The area will not have any retail space, planners said.
- Glenwood Propane was granted a permit to build two new above-ground propane tanks at 2115 Smith Mountain Lake Parkway in Huddleston. Each tank is expected to be between 41 feet by 10 feet in size.
- A special use permit was granted for Thomas Road Baptist Church to construct five cabins and a bathhouse planned to open by summer. The area was zoned for agricultural use, and required board approval. The new camp, for middle and high school students, is located next to Sharp Top Mountain off the Blue Ridge Parkway. The matter had opposition from owners of a neighboring parcel of land. After a lengthy discussion, the board added provisions requiring the church to add and maintain fences, gates and signs to the property line.