.jpg)
Water bills and water runoff were two of the topics at the Oct. 8 meeting of Glasgow Town Council.
Lewis Hamilton, owner-operator of the carwash and Laundromat, spoke to Council concerning the high cost of his last two water bills, noting there was a 200% increase.
He said that he has operated these businesses in town for 37 years and, of course, they use a lot of water. He said it is a service that draws people from all over the area, and it also brings revenue into town. Some customers will spend money at Scottos, etc., while waiting on their laundry to finish.
He asked Council to consider helping him, or he would have no choice but to close down. After some discussion, the Council agreed to give him a discount on his water bill, saying they need to “keep the businesses we have, as we strive to bring in new businesses.”
A work session will be scheduled to discuss options on water rates for the future. Town Manager Allyson Finchum noted that due to incorrect software data, commercial accounts have been billed incorrectly for some time.
Lew Hamilton, son of Lewis Hamilton, spoke to Council concerning storm water runoff backing up onto their property across the highway from the construction site of the future Dollar General Market. It was discovered there is a problem on the Market site that has been visited by Hamilton, Finchum, county representatives and the site contractors, and measures will be taken to create better flow from there toward the river.
The town staff is working with the Glasgow Planning Commission and the Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission to find grants to provide improvements for the business district.
The Waterline Project Grant is ongoing. Bids for construction will occur by end of the year with construction scheduled for early 2025.
Concern was expressed by some citizens about homeless people in and about town, staying at the hikers’ shelter, or in abandoned buildings, even starting campfires inside those buildings. Lew Hamilton mentioned that he has had items stolen from his lumber business at the entrance of town.
Town Manager Finchum, after being here for several months, sees the need to have a law enforcement officer in town; however, the amount in the current budget ($41,000) for this position needs to be increased. Council gave her authority to rework the budget to increase this amount. She has also met with a law firm about contracting for legal services for the town.
In other business, Carolyn Bradley, manager of the Farmers’ Market, noted they will be open only on Fridays through October, then close for the season.
