Tonight supervisors will elect a new board chairman, reorganize, hold two public hearings, meet with Virgilina Mayor John Youngk about utility extension plans and Town of Halifax Manager Robert Greene regarding the town's emergency communications and hear the War Memorial Commission's presentation of its final design for the monument.
Supervisors will also welcome two new members, William Fitzgerald in ED-3 and Ronnie Vaughan in ED-6.
This is but a preview of the board's busy agenda, which gets underway at 7 p.m. tonight in the Mary Bethune Complex in Halifax.
County officials will also be presented a Halifax County flag by the 250th Anniversary Steering Committee and Annin official Bill Kelehar. The flag, which features the county seal, was created at Annin.
The finance committee will recommend a financial program to help existing, qualified county industries in distress.
Regarding machinery and tools assessment, the committee will recommend that support be extended to the Commissioner of the Revenue in implementing a reduced assessment on industrial machinery and tools located within Halifax County, but idle for all or a portion of a tax year.
The anticipated average assessed value for such taxable idle property is five percent of the original cost of the machinery and tool.
The second recommendation concerns distressed business assistance program. The Industrial Development Authority (IDA) is requested to implement a program to aid major employers experiencing severe business distress.
Recommended components of the program include:
· Eligibility - Businesses considered for assistance under the program should have a history of 30 years significant contribution to the Halifax County local economy and be an employer of over 500 workers in Halifax County. (Burlington Industries would be an example of a qualifying industry.)
· Loan - A short term loan of about one year should be extended to the assisted business. The principal of the loan should not exceed the machinery and tools tax value, including penalty and interest, assessed against the business by the county in the most recent tax year. Loans may be renewed for additional years, if the assisted business continues to operate in a distressed status.
· Loan Security - The IDA is encouraged to secure the principal of loans under the program by obtaining a pledge of an equity position or other acceptable participation in real estate dispositions, should facility closure occur at the business' premises in Halifax County.
· Loan Repayment Terms- One-fourth of the principal due on the loan should be forgiven for each three months the assisted business maintains two-thirds of the employment that existed at the time of declaration of distressed status (bankruptcy filing, casualty loss, etc.).
· Distress Status - The program is proposed for use only in dire circumstances where a declaration is made of a distressed business condition. The IDA should conduct an evaluation of qualifying distressed status on a case-by-case basis.
· Loan Funding - A grant to the IDA should be made by the Board of Supervisors sufficient to meet the loan principal.
· Legal Review - IDA would condition assistance provided on receipt of an opinion from a qualified attorney familiar with local government finance that the loan arrangements are an appropriate and authorized action.
Anticipated tax revenue loss.
Whenever a business qualifies for assistance under the program, the county should reduce the current year revenue estimates by the full amount of property and other taxes due from the business. It is also recommended that the county should eliminate revenue from the distress business in budgeting for subsequent fiscal years.
If the recommendations are accepted, it is recommended that the commissioner of the revenue, county administrator and IDA executive director be authorized to implement the program promptly in order to "expeditiously assist a qualifying distressed business and retain such business and its employment within Halifax County."
"We have always had an industry recruitment program but this is more an industry retention program," said IDA director Bill Confroy on Friday. "This is the county's attempt to establish a protocol."
Halifax County may be the first to take this direction.
"To the best of my knowledge I am not aware of any other communities proposing to initiate this program," Confroy said.
Public Hearings
Supervisors will hear a request from Charlie and Rachael Scott for rezoning of 556 acres from Agricultural 1 to M-2, general industrial.
The property adjoins the east side of Clover Power Station, and is bordered on the north by the Staunton River and on the south by Route 92 (Clover Road).
The Planning Commission unanimously recommended the rezoning.
The board will also address a Town of Halifax streetscape enhancement/and or Paul C. Edmunds Jr. Memorial Park Enhancement Project Grant applications.
The Town of Halifax and the county are seeking a planning grant to make improvements in the town's business area.
The county administrator, Halifax town manager and Southside Planning Director Joyce French met December 13 to begin the application process. The county is applying for the grant to expedite the process.
County officials will also discuss problems with DEQ regarding landfill violations.
The board will hear a recommendation that additional solid waste collection and recycling centers be added, mirroring the one opened in ED-6 this year.
Tobacco Commission Funding Projects
Following a review before Christmas, IDA Director Bill Confroy, South Boston Town Manager Ted Daniel and Halifax County Administrator Joe Morgan recommend the following funding priorities.
The update is primarily due to better estimates on the Riverstone cost estimates.
Priorities include:
· (1) Riverstone. Request from Tobacco Commission $1,190,764. The Riverstone project will also require $1.8 million in 2003 for completion.
· (2) Prizery, with an $800,000 request.
· (3) Agricultural Marketing Center, with a $200,000 request.
· (4) Tobacco Barn Conversion, with a $312,000 request.
· (5) Hangar/Offices (Tuck Airport), with a $210,748 request.
The total allocation request is $2,713,512.
If a project is now approved, it was recommended any unused allocation be designated first to Hangar/Offices, up to $250,000; the Prizery, up to $1,000,000; and Riverstone, up to $2,978,544.

By KEITH STRANGE
It is now up to the State Corporation Commission to determine how electric power deregulation will affect Halifax County residents, but the Industrial Development Authority (IDA) says that it is waiting until the reorganizational structure is in place before determining what action to take.
The hotly contested debate has raised concern from Southside residents and local legislators.
"I opposed the deregulation of electric power throughout the debate," former Del. Ted Bennett said, although it ended with passage and the adoption of the legislation.
Bennett said that the only way that there could be a way out of rising costs for Southside residents is for the leaders of several county governments to form alliances and band together, allowing their boards of supervisors to try to negotiate with other power generators.
"This would fuel competition with the existing generators to lower prices for the residents of Southside," the former delegate said.
But it is unlikely to happen, he added.
"The county governments would have to hire high-priced attorneys and experts in the electric business to negotiate for us."
Bennett said that it could take years before there is any real competition for existing suppliers.
"One of the things that I lobbied for was a cap on the rates that stays in effect for the next seven years," he said.
"I insisted on that because I looked at what happened in Pennsylvania when deregulation went in effect. The rates went up dramatically, and I didn't want that happening in Virginia," he continued.
"The cap is a measure of protection for residents," he said.
"But once the cap goes off, deregulation will cost the customer more."
Under deregulation, Bennett said, there is no real protection for the rural areas, private residences and small businesses throughout the state.
"What I'm concerned with is the affordability and stability of the supply of electric power for the residents of Virginia,"he added.
Bennett said that with the deregulation of the generation of electric power, there is "no provision in the bill that requires Virginia-based power companies to reserve any power generated in Virginia for the use by Virginia."
He maintains that companies such as Dominion Power and American Electric Power can now sell their power anywhere in the country that they can find a market for it.
Although deregulation allows for power generators to compete with one another, in practicality there is no competition in Southside Virginia.
"Without major power generators coming into Virginia to compete with the existing companies, there is no requirement in the legislation that (the power generators) reserve power for Virginia," Bennett added.
The IDA had reservations about the effect on county residents as well.
It is anticipated that commercial and residential power costs will increase as a result of deregulation, said Bill Confroy, IDA executive director last month.
And the IDA is concerned about the availability of affordable power for Virginia customers as well.
"There are no conditions in the deregulation plan where power is reserved for Virginia residents, particularly a rural population," Confroy said.
"I don't think the general public is aware of what the impact (of deregulation) will be," the executive director continued.
At the December 3 meeting, the Industrial Development Authority adopted a resolution to not take any action until the SCC rules on the organizational structure that Dominion Power will take.
"Once the organizational structure is in place, the SCC has the authority to approve or disapprove the plan," said Confroy.
"What the SCC wants to review is which form or structure Dominion Power will take under deregulation.
"One plan is for Dominion to simply be a holding company for Virginia Power," he said.
Confroy said that during the 2002 legislative session, the SCC findings will be addressed.
"During the previous session of the General Assembly, the debate on energy deregulation was undertaken and legislation was enacted to allow it to take place," he added.
"The bill that was passed was the product of legislation worked out between AEP, Dominion Power and a few small co-generators on one side, and some of the larger consumers and manufacturers on the other side," Bennett said.
The consumers and manufacturers had input because they had the leverage of purchasing ability, he added.
Bennett said that after deregulation customers have a right to choose their electric supplier, "but there is no competition, despite deregulation, Dominion Power still has what amounts to a monopoly."
"In Halifax County, we really don't have an option, that's why I opposed the legislation," he added.

Round two of the Dixie Inc. controversy will take place at the beginning of tonight's meeting of the South Boston Town Council Committees.
The overall session will start at 5:45 p.m. at council chambers on Yancey Street, with Dixie Inc. and its supporters scheduled to present their side of the issue to council as a whole.
The then City of South Boston and Dixie Inc. entered into an agreement several years ago for Dixie Inc. to operate the Day Complex at Houghton Industrial Park "in the public's best interest."
Town council has charged itself with studying the situation involving Dixie Inc. and with making recommendations to help resolve it.
The war of words involving Dixie Inc. and parents and coaches of youth participating in its baseball programs has escalated over the past month.
Parents and coaches of youth involved in the Dixie Inc. baseball programs had appeared before council at last month's work session to express ongoing concerns with Dixie Inc. operations.
The speakers, representing several age levels of the Dixie baseball programs, indicated they had been excluded from operational and financial decisions made by the Board of Dixie Inc. in particular.
Dixie Inc. board members and supporters defended their operations at that same meeting, with Mason Day Jr. saying he would open the organization's by-laws for council's examination as well as answer any of council's concerns.
Current Issues Agenda
A packed agenda will greet the Current Issues Committee (CIC), including discussion of two planning commission recommendations and two proposed amendments to the town's Zoning Ordinance.
· The CIC will discuss a Special Use Permit application from Southside Community Services Board (SCSB) to maintain Gateway-Halifax Apartments.
A planning commission recommendation is due Wednesday on the application, which is the result of a proposed settlement of a lawsuit the SCSB brought against the town last year.
A public hearing on the application is scheduled for January's meeting of town council next Monday.
· The CIC will discuss a Special Use Permit application from Halifax Regional Hospital to allow for a 2,300 square foot addition to an existing structure in a T-1 Transitional District.
The planning commission is also scheduled to make a recommendation on this application at its Wednesday meeting, and a public hearing on the issue is scheduled for town council's meeting next Monday.
· Two proposed amendments to the town's Zoning Ordinance are scheduled for discussion.
The first is an amendment allowing bus stations in certain business use districts and the other amendment regards signs in the T-1 Transitional District.
Both issues are set for public hearings before town council next Monday, January 14.
· Two issues regarding the consolidated E-911 Emergency Communications Center are on the agenda, involving police administration and records management functions for the center, as well as a proposed Town E-911 Ordinance.
· The CIC will consider Tobacco Commission funding priorities at tonight's meeting, as well as listen to a Wastewater Treatment Plant performance update for December 2001.
Finance Committee
Town Finance Officer Vandie Saunders will offer his monthly financial report to the Finance Committee as well as details on his three-year delinquent tax list.

Halifax County schools are closed again today, marking the third day of lost class time resulting from last Thursday's winter storm.
"It is going to be really cold again in the morning and there are some back roads that still have ice on them," School Superintendent Dennis Witt said yesterday.
"The best we could have done was to go two hours late. We just didn't feel it was worth the risk. One more day (of lost school time) won't make us or break us. We'll try to get back into school Tuesday."
Two holidays later this month will be used as makeup days for class time lost last Thursday and Friday.
The January 18 Lee-Jackson holiday will be used to make up for last Thursday and the January 21 Martin Luther King holiday will be used as the makeup day for last Friday.
A teacher workday, March 28, will be used to make up for today's lost day of school.

Icy road conditions resulting from Thursday's winter storm forced postponement of all of the weekend's scheduled high school sports events.
The Halifax County High School boys basketball games that were slated here Friday night against Cave Spring have been rescheduled for Tuesday night, January 22.
Halifax County High School's girls basketball games that were slated at Cave Spring Friday night have been rescheduled for Tuesday night, January 15.
Friday's scheduled swim meet against Martinsville was cancelled.
An indoor track meet that had been scheduled for Saturday in Lynchburg was cancelled as was the Person High School Invitational Wrestling Tournament in Roxboro, N.C.
No makeup dates were set for those events.

James Thomas Holland Sr.

James Thomas Holland, 63, of Montgomery, AL died January 1. He was the son of the late John Marshall Holland Sr. and Elsie Holland Spencer.
His survivors include his wife: Mary Holland; son: James T. and Wanda Holland Jr. of Halifax; daughter: Mary Virginia and Kimball James of Nelson; grandson: Jason Edward Barnette of Gatlinburg, TN; brother: John M. Holland Jr. of Halifax and two great-grandchildren.
A graveside service was held January 4 at Ft. Mitchell National Cemetery in Ft. Mitchell, AL.

Eleanor Carwile Guthrie

Eleanor Carwile Guthrie, 79, of 16248 L.P. Bailey Memorial Hwy., Nathalie, died January 4 at her home.
Mrs. Guthrie was born in Campbell County on September 29, 1922, the daughter of Walter Ray Carwile and Lucile Smith Carwile. She was married to James Edward Guthrie and was a member of Childrey Baptist Church, National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Red Hill Chapter and the Campbell Co. Historical Society.
Her survivors include her husband; two daughters: Catherine and Dr. Larry Younger and Hannah and George Vaughan Jr. of Halifax; son: David Guthrie of Raleigh, NC; five grandsons: Nathan, Seth and Justin Younger and Aaron and Joshua Vaughan; two brothers: Kenneth Carwile of Frazier Park, CA and Atwood Carwile of Rustburg. She was preceded in death by a brother, Carlton Carwile.
A funeral service was held January 6 at Childrey Baptist Church with the Rev. Rodney Barwick officiating. Interment followed in the church cemetery.
Memorials may be made to the Childrey Baptist Church Building Fund.

Thomas Johanes Small Jr.

Thomas Johanes Small Jr., 67, of 2126 Cherry Hill Church Rd., South Boston, died January 2 at his residence.
Mr. Small was born in New York on February 12, 1934, the son of the late Thomas J. Small Sr. and Margaret Small Northington. He was married to Annie Lawson Small and was a member of Trinity Episcopal Church, New York and was an Army veteran.
His survivors include his wife and mother; two daughters: Tommeia Small of South Boston and Desiree Lacey of Houston, TX; two sons: Anthony Thomas Small of Bridgeport, CT and Tommel A. Small of South Boston; three sisters: Margo Barnes and Juanita Still of Queens, NY and Annarita Caldwell of The Bronx, NY; three brothers: Louis and Joseph Small of The Bronx and Mark Jones of Rockaway, NY; step-son: Lester Lawson of South Boston and 11 grandchildren.
A funeral service will be held Thurs., January 10 at 11 a.m. at Jeffress Funeral Home chapel with Elder Herbert Walker officiating. Burial will be held in the Virginia Veterans Cemetery, Amelia.
The family will receive friends Wed., January 9 at Jeffress Funeral Home chapel from 7-8 p.m.

Maggie Herbert Sutphin

Maggie Herbert Sutphin, 81, of 2208 Sutphin Road, South Boston, died January 3.
Mrs. Sutphin was born in Halifax County on January 14, 1920; the daughter of the late Louis James Herbert and Maggie Waller Herbert. She was married to the late Floyd Edward Sutphin and was a member of the Peaceful Tabernacle Baptist Church.
Her survivors include two daughters: Mary Robinson of Columbia, SC and Margaret Waajid of South Boston; four sons: Floyd Sutphin Jr. of South Boston; Wayne Sutphin Sr. of Baltimore, MD, Roy Sutphin of Middletown, NY and Geronimo Sutphin of Portsmouth; brother: Louis J. Herbert of South Boston; 12 grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandson. She was preceded in death by a son, Bernard Sutphin.
A funeral service will be held tomorrow, January 8, at 2 p.m. at the Peaceful Tabernacle Baptist Church with the Rev. Jackie Stamps officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.
The family will received friends at the residence.

Mitchell Uriel Seamons

Mitchell Uriel Seamons, 62, of 1170 Griffin Trail, Virgilina, died January 5 at Halifax Regional Hospital.
Mr. Seamons was born in Halifax County on August 10, 1939, the son of the late George W. and Nannie Hughes Seamons. He was married to Hattie Seamons and was a member of Hitesburg Baptist Church.
His survivors include his wife; two daughters: Iris Regina Seamons and Ilor S. Whitlow of South Boston; son: Mitchell G. Seamons of Virgilina; two sisters: Inez Sears of Cleveland, GA and Emily Bane of South Boston; brother: C. Frank Seamons of South Boston; two grandsons: Jessie and Preston Seamons and two granddaughters: Caitlyn and Nicole Whitlow.
He was preceded in death by a daughter: Irene Renee Seamons; three sisters: Georgia Elliott, Beulah Nance and Hettie Redd and two brothers: Clarence and Floyd Seamons.
A funeral service will be held tomorrow, January 8 at 2 p.m. at Hitesburg Baptist Church with the Rev. Lee Merck officiating. Burial will be held in the church cemetery.
Visitation will be held at Brooks Funeral Home tonight, January 7, from 7:30-9 p.m. and at other times at his daughter's home at 307 Edmondson Ave., South Boston.

Raleigh V. Wilborne Sr.

Raleigh Venable Wilborne Sr., a native of Halifax County, died January 5 at his residence.
Mr. Wilborne was owner of Wilborne Paint Contractors and served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean Conflict. He was a member of the American Legion Post 8, South Boston. He was married to Mecia Rich Wilborne.
His survivors include his wife; three daughters: Beverly Kay Hill of Fort Lauderdale, FL, Lana Rae Haley and Cheryl Ann Mills of South Boston; two sons: Kenneth Dale Wilborne of South Boston and Raleigh Venable Wilborne Jr. of Edgewater, MD; four sisters: Sylvia Thomas of South Boston, Ruby Ford and Jackie Cuneo of Richmond and Mary Rowe of New Bern, NC; four brothers: Henry Wilborne of South Boston, Harvey and Donald Wilborne of Thomasville, NC and Bobby Wilborne of Colfax, NC; 12 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held Wednesday, January 9 at 11 a.m. in Cedar Grove United Methodist Church, Alton with the Rev. Michael Sullivan officiating.
Contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society-Halifax Chapter, South Boston.

Ruth Talbott Puryear

Ruth Talbott Puryear, 74, of 2083 Old Cluster Springs Rd., South Boston, died January 6 at Halifax Regional Hospital.
Mrs. Puryear was born in Halifax County on May 1, 1927, the daughter of the late Charlie M. and Lorena Keesee Talbott. She was married to the late Earl Mitchell Puryear and was a member of Black Walnut Baptist Church. She was a volunteer at Halifax Regional Hospital.
Her survivors include two daughters: Patricia Grinstead of Roxboro, NC and Susan P. Knick of Puyallup, WA; son: Mitchell E. Puryear of Mockville, NC; two brothers: Ed Talbott of Cluster Springs and W.C. Talbott of New Bern, NC; two sisters: Ester Glasscock of Alton and Mildred Guthrie of Alton; six grandchildren: Troy and Travis Grinstead, Tracy P. Hamm, Bridgitt Puryear and Chad and Blair Knick and four great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by three brothers: Coleman, Luther and Clifton Talbott.
Funeral arrangements were incomplete at presstime.