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ARPA Funds Appropriated
Buena Vista City Council this past Thursday approved spending $273,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds for three different projects.
ARPA funds are being used to replace the roof on the Municipal Building at a cost of $205,000. A new electronic door lock system is being installed in the Municipal Building at a cost of $8,000. And, at a cost of $60,000, the roof of the control building of the wastewater treatment plant is being replaced.
Also, Council approved using $4,444 from opioids litigation settlement funds for unplanned plumbing and electrical expenditures for the Hope House, the house Rockbridge Recovery is renovating to be temporary residences for recovering addicts.
City Manager’s Contract Extended
Jason Tyree, Buena Vista’s city manager the past two years, will likely remain in this post for at least another three years.
A new contract that would keep Tyree on the job in Buena Vista through the end of 2027 was approved by City Council on Thursday. The contract also includes an option for an additional four years, through 2031.
A native of Amherst County and former Buchanan town manager, Tyree began work as Buena Vista city manager in March of 2021.
Huffman, Wheeler Are Recognized
Mary Lee Huffman and Dawn Wheeler, who recently retired as, respectively, treasurer and clerk of council for the city of Buena Vista, were recognized for their service to the city in proclamations adopted by City Council this past Thursday.
Huffman worked in the treasurer’s office for a total of 36 years. She was deputy treasurer for 24 years before being elected treasurer in 2017. During her tenure, Huffman “faithfully fulfilled the duties of treasurer with the highest integrity and has always been pleasant and helpful to the citizens of Buena Vista and all those around her,” states the proclamation.
Mayor Bill Fitzgerald recalled that he knew Huffman from back when the two were in elementary school together. “She was just as cheerful then as she is now,” he remarked, telling her, “You brighten up the days of a lot of people.”
Wheeler served as council clerk and assistant to the city manager for 13 years. She “faithfully and diligently provided a professional link between the citizens of Buena Vista, the City Council and the various agencies and boards for the city of Buena Vista,” according to the proclamation.
Fitzgerald said Wheeler “really helped me” when he was first elected mayor. “I would have really struggled if it wasn’t for her. She’s a wonderful woman to work with.”
PUD First Reading Held
Gunner Beverly has plans to build a single-family home on a 33-acre site off of Beverly Hollow Road at the south end of Buena Vista.
The first reading of an ordinance was held Thursday by City Council that would allow a planned unit development for the house to be built on a high point of the wooded, sloped property. A new driveway approximately 2,000 feet in length is to be constructed. More than 10,000 square feet of land is to be disturbed. The city has reviewed and approved an erosion and sediment control plan. The home is to have a well and a septic system. Beverly Hollow Road is a private road that is maintained by several home owners. The Planning Commission recommended approval of the PUD at its Oct. 10 meeting.
Miller Appointed To City’s EDA
Buena Vista City Council tapped Jerry Miller to serve on the city’s Economic Development Authority. He replaces Marolyn Cash, who recently stepped down.
