Return to NRVPDC Home Page"REGIONAL PARTNERSHIP RECEIVES $244,260" IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Virginia's New River Valley Regional Competitiveness Partnership received $244,260 from the
Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development for participation in the Regional
Competitiveness Program (RCP). This program was created to help communities strengthen their
economic competitiveness through regional cooperation. The RCP provides an incentive for
communities and regions to undertake new levels of regional activity to address obstacles to
economic competitiveness. The program is designed to reward both existing regional behavior
and stimulate new behavior: planning and acting regionally.
In response to this call for increased regional cooperation, the NRVPDC and the New River
Valley Economic Development Alliance, along with representatives from the various educational
institutions in the region, joined together to form Virginia's New River Valley Regional
Competitiveness Partnership. The Partnership adopted Vision 2020, the regional strategic plan
for the New River Valley, as its strategic plan.
Participation in the RCP is based on an application demonstrating regional cooperation. For the
New River Valley, this was not difficult to do. Some of the cooperative projects submitted for
scoring consideration included: New River Valley Economic Development Corporation; Route
177 Corridor Revenue Sharing Agreement; Radford/Montgomery County Joint Land Use
Controls and Planning; New River Valley Economic Development Alliance 5-year Plan; New
River Valley Competitiveness Center; New River Valley Visitors Bureau; Virginia's First
Regional Industrial Authority; MIRA Leadership Training; Workforce Development; Foreign
Trade Zone; and the New River Valley Regional Jail.
Pending successful progress on these projects, the Partnership will continue to qualify for annual incentive funding through the remaining four years of the program. For further information, contact Mary Hall or Dave Rundgren at (540) Main Menu
New River Designated as an American Heritage River
The New River has been designated as an American Heritage River. President Clinton and Vice-President Gore
announced the designation at a ceremony in northwestern North Carolina on July 30, 1998. Mr. David Rundgren,
NRVPDC; Mr. Joe Sheffey, Pulaski County; Mr. Peter Huber, Pulaski County; and Mr. Joe Gorman, Montgomery
County attended the ceremony. The New River is the only rural river among 14 in the nation which received the
American Heritage River designation. The program does not provide new or additional Federal funding, but
focuses on existing Federal programs and funding to address needs in the basins drained by the American Heritage
Rivers. Within 120 days, a Federal employee should be named as a "navigator" for the New River. The
"navigator" will be available to help organizations and localities in the basin seeking assistance from Federal
agencies. Since the designation ceremony, a group of representatives from North Carolina, Virginia, and West
Virginia, have been working to take advantage of the designation. A non-profit organization, New River
Community Partners, is being formed to lead the efforts. The focus of the action plan is on Economic
Development, Preservation of Cultural and Historic Heritage, Protecting Water Quality, Natural Resources, and
Training and Education.
President Clinton signing the designation with Vice-President Gore looking on. The person on the
left with the straw hat is Mr. Joe Gorman from Montgomery County. For further information on the New River, contact Dave
Rundgren at (540) 639-9313. Main Menu
Giles County Comprehensive Plan
The Giles County Planning Commission recently completed reviewing the first draft of the Future Land Use Guide, a significant component of the County's general land use plan. Recommended changes have already been made to the guide, and NRVPDC staff will present the revised document to the Planning Commission in a special meeting on October 6, 1998. The Planning Commission is simultaneously reviewing the background data portion of the Comprehensive Plan and will review their recommended changes with NRVPDC staff at the October meeting. For further information, contact Gregg Zody, (540)639-9313. Main Menu
At the August meeting of the Dublin Planning Commission, NRVPDC staff presented the previous Comprehensive Plan's Goals and Objectives to Commissioners for review and evaluation in preparation for the September 28, 1998 meeting. Plans for the Town's official map boundaries and the role of the Old Town Dublin development study in the Comprehensive Plan were also discussed at the August meeting. For further information, contact Gregg Zody, (540)639-9313. Main Menu
Pulaski County Comprehensive Plan
NRVPDC completed recommended changes made by Planning Commissioners to the second draft of the County's Comprehensive Plan. Review of the Goals and Objectives from the last Comprehensive Plan are scheduled for review at the next meeting, in addition to reviewing future land use maps. For further information, contact Gregg Zody, (540)639-9313. Main Menu
New River Valley Regional Jail
With the construction of the New River Valley Regional Jail nearly 70% complete, the regional jail staff is preparing to advertise the remaining employment positions available at the facility. Job advertisements are expected to be run in newspapers at the beginning of October. Interviews and background screenings will take place in October and November. New employees will come on board at the beginning of December. Any questions concerning employment opportunities should be directed to Rebekah Stump, Assistant Superintendent for Finance & Human Relations at (540) 674-1130. Main Menu
Congratulations to the New River Valley Kellogg Grant Organizing Committee and to Bob Stuart. They will be
receiving citizen citation awards from the state-wide Virginia Citizen Planning Association (VCPA). These awards are
for citizens who work to improve their communities through planning efforts.
The Kellogg Organizing Team worked to receive and implement the Kellogg Grant,"Managing Information with Rural
America," (MIRA). Through this grant, the Committee has increased citizen participation at all levels of civic life,
strengthened the grassroots skill base, and educated citizens about their community assets. Holly Lesko, a part-time
employee of the NRVPDC, was the lynchpin in the Committee's development and will accept the award in October on
behalf of the Organizing Committee.
Bob Stuart has worked tirelessly on planning efforts in Blacksburg and across the New River Valley for over twenty
years. One example of his contribution to the region was his significant help with developing Vision 2020 with the
NRVPDC five years ago.
John Wallace, the Chair of the VCPA Selection Committee said, "The awards this year were more competitive than they have been in past years. You should take particular pride in receiving these citations." Main Menu
New River Valley Competitiveness Center
The construction of the Competitiveness Center is progressing nicely. The exterior brick is complete and the roof over
the incubator office side is being completed. The metal building still continues to be behind due to missing parts. The
parking lot will be graded within the next several weeks as sewer and gas pipes are put into place. The electrical and
heating systems are well underway.
We are evaluating equipment and furniture for the building. We have spoken with several vendors concerning phone service, computer networks, and office furniture.
Megan Coll and Neal Noyes, Economic Development Administration staff, were in Radford on September 17th to make
a site visit. Both were pleased with the construction progress and the quality of the work.
Kay Hauschildt is available to make presentations on the Competitiveness Center. If you would like to schedule a
presentation for your organization, please contact the Development Office.
Again, we would like to begin compiling a list of business men and women who are willing to serve as mentors to startup businesses. If you or someone you know can provide guidance to these organizations, please contact Kay Hauschildt at (540) 639-9314. Main Menu
The Giles Business Incubator was notified in August that it was one of only ten localities to receive an Appalachian
Regional Commission Entrepreneurship Initiative Grant. Governor James S. Gilmore III announced the grant recipients
in Abingdon, VA on August 19th. The grant, totaling $36,575, will be used to provide small business educational
workshops and to enhance the services and assistance that the incubator provides to small business entrepreneurs.
Pictured below from left to right are Mayor Don Richardson, Town of Narrows; Anita Hines, GBI; Governor James
Gilmore; and Alexandra Hall, NRVPDC. For more information, please contact Anita Hines, Operations Manager of the Giles Business Incubator, at (540) 726-3888 / [email protected].
NRVPDC Commission meetings are held on the fourth Thursday of every month, 7:30 p.m., at the Fred Wygal School Building, 1612 Wadsworth Street, Radford. All Commission meetings are open to the public. Main Menu
NRV jurisdictions experienced unemployment rate declines between the 1st and 2nd quarters of 1998 with the exception of Giles County (2.7% increase). Floyd County experienced the largest decline (1.7%), with Radford City showing no change. Between the 1st and 2nd quarters of 1997, the City of Radford was the only jurisdiction that experienced an increase in their unemployment rate, the other jurisdictions showed declines.
| Jurisdiction | 1st Qtr 1998 | 2nd Qtr 1998 |
|---|---|---|
| Floyd County | 3.9% | 2.2% |
| Giles County | 6.7% | 9.4% |
| Montgomery County | 2.2% | 2.0% |
| Pulaski County | 5.1% | 4.0% |
| Radford City | 2.8% | 2.8% |
| New River Valley | 3.5% | 3.4% |
All NRV jurisdictions experienced increases in their labor force between 1st and 2nd quarters of 1998. Montgomery County showed the largest increase (4,181 persons). During the same time period in 1997, all jurisdictions showed increases with Montgomery County showing the largest increase (2,854 persons).
| Jurisdiction | 1st Qtr 1998 | 2nd Qtr 1998 |
|---|---|---|
| Floyd County | 19,499 | 19,922 |
| Giles County | 25,360 | 27,177 |
| Montgomery County | 110,690 | 114,871 |
| Pulaski County | 50,849 | 52,266 |
| Radford City | 20,395 | 21,198 |
| New River Valley | 226,793 | 235,434 |
Quarterly Employment and Wage Data
The NRV's 4th quarter wage data for 1996 and 1997 show an increase in average employment of 1,937 persons (3%). The average wage increased ($136 or 6.1%), as well as the number of establishments (88 or 2.6%).
| Jurisdiction | 4th Qtr 1996 | 4th Qtr 1997 |
|---|---|---|
| Floyd County | 2,304 | 2,345 |
| Giles County | 5,639 | 5,728 |
| Montgomery County | 30,515 | 31,817 |
| Pulaski County | 15,300 | 15,560 |
| Radford City | 8,934 | 9,179 |
| Jurisdiction | 4th Qtr 1996 | 4th Qtr 1997 |
|---|---|---|
| Floyd County | 336 | 366 |
| Giles County | 503 | 504 |
| Montgomery County | 443 | 470 |
| Pulaski County | 431 | 508 |
| Radford City | 514 | 515 |
| Jurisdiction | 4th Qtr 1996 | 4th Qtr 1997 |
|---|---|---|
| Floyd County | 260 | 269 |
| Giles County | 316 | 319 |
| Montgomery County | 1,632 | 1,712 |
| Pulaski County | 706 | 709 |
| Radford City | 409 | 402 |
Transportation Technical Advisory Committee
The NRVPDC's Transportation Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) met on September 15, 1998, at the Pearisburg
Municipal Building. A presentation was given on the Intermodal Facility Study. The study focuses on intermodal rail-truck transfer facilities, intermodal transportation, and issues involved in developing an intermodal facility in the New
River Valley. The report includes case study information on three intermodal facilities located at Huntsville, Alabama;
Front Royal, Virginia; and Arcadia, Wisconsin. A portion of the Radford Army Ammunition Plant (RAAP) facility at
Dublin was identified as a possible site for an intermodal facility in the RAAP Strategic Reuse Plan in 1995. Positives
associated with the site: (1) rail access and is located on a Norfolk Southern intermodal mainline with double-stack
capability; (2) access to an excellent highway system; (3) Foreign Trade Zone and Customs office are being established
in the area; (4) Norfolk Southern is interested in serving the Commerce Park; and (5) Norfolk Southern expects to divert
over 500,000 truck trips from highways to intermodal rail as a result of its merger with Conrail and will be marketing
single-railroad service between the southeast (i.e., Atlanta) and the northeast (i.e., Philadelphia and New York/New
Jersey). Negatives associated with the site include: (1) Norfolk Southern is not interested in the site; and (2) a major
investment of capital would be required to improve the site and develop a facility. The next TAC meeting will be held
on November 17, 1998, at the Christiansburg Recreation Center. For further information, contact Patrick Burton at (540) 639-9313.
Main Menu
October 5 - Floyd PC Meeting - 7:30PM
October 6 - Blacksburg Town PC Meeting - 7:30PM
October 9 - New River Regional Jail-NRVPDC - 9:30AM
October 12 - Pulaski Town PC Meeting - 7:00PM
October 13 - Giles PC Meeting - 7:00PM and Pulaski PC Meeting - 7:00PM
October 19 - Radford PC Meeting - 7:00PM
October 21 - Montgomery PC Meeting - 7:00PM
October 22 - NRVPDC Annual Dinner Meeting - 7:00PM
*Christiansburg Town PC Meetings are held on an as-needed basis, any Monday at 4:00PM Main Menu
November 2 - Floyd PC Meeting - 7:30PM
November 3 - Blacksburg Town PC Meeting - 7:30PM
November 9 - Pulaski Town PC Meeting - 7:00PM
November 10 - Giles PC Meeting - 7:00PM and Pulaski PC Meeting - 7:00PM
November 13 - New River Regional Jail - NRVPDC - 9:30AM
November 16 - Radford PC Meeting - 7:00PM
November 17 - RPOTAC Meeting - C'Burg Recreation Center - 1:30PM
November 18 - Montgomery PC Meeting - 7:00PM
*Christiansburg Town PC Meetings are held on an as-needed basis, any Monday at 4:00PM Main Menu
Transitional Housing Study Receives Planning Grant
The Town of Narrows, working with the New River Valley Housing Partnership and the NRVPDC, received a $14,000 planning grant from the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development to study the need and development of a plan for transitional housing in the region. Transitional housing is designed for individuals and families leaving emergency shelters but not yet able to enter permanent housing. Persons may stay in transitional facilities for up to two years while they wait for affordable permanent housing, work on clearing credit problems, or take other actions to put their lives back together.
The ultimate purpose of this grant is to develop a construction grant application for a transitional housing facility in the NRV. The groups currently involved in carrying out the work of the planning grant include the Women's Resource Center, Giles County Housing and Development Corporation, VMH, Departments of Social Services, and the NRVPDC. For further information, contact Mary Hall at (540) 639-9313. nbsp;Main Menu
Narrows Downtown Revitalization
Annual Dinner Meeting Reminder
CHECK YOUR
CALENDARS NOW!!
The 11th Annual Dinner Meeting of the Planning Commissions in the New River Valley will be Thursday, October 22, 1998 at Chateau Morrisette, in Floyd County. A wine tasting will be held at 6:30 PM and dinner will be served at 7:00 PM at a cost of $22 per person. Please RSVP by October 16, 1998 to Jan Reynolds at (540) 639-9313. Main Menu