Distributed Free On Fridays For 11 Years! February 19, 2021 www.pcpatriot.com Locally Owned And Operated Insuring You & Yours FOOTBALL PREVIEW We Preview The 2021 Edition Of The Pulaski County Cougars, With Player Photos, Schedules And More • Page B1 Karen Tuggle Brad Alley Lynn White Rental inspection, vacant Home • Auto • Life • Business building programs to return By MIKE WILLIAMS She noted the two programs The Patriot could potentially be coupled with a third that would involve some The Town of Pulaski will soon state funding that could be made start back up its dormant Rental available to the town. Inspection Program and Vacant “If obtained, this funding Building Registry. would allow us to engage the 611 East Main Street Council voted unanimously services of someone to actually Dublin, VA 24084 • 540-674-4678 to do so Tuesday evening at its acquire, rehabilitate or demolish monthly work session. and build new houses once they www.insurancecenterofdublin.com Town Manager Darlene Bur- have been identified as being cham reminded council that sev- structurally inadequate,” Bur- eral meetings ago she had pre- cham explained. WEEKEND WEATHER sented portions of the town code not been a consistent use of either She said the goal of both the concerning two programs involv- of the programs, but in her opin- Rental Inspection Program and Saturday Sunday ing property in three areas of the ion, they are vitally necessary to the Vacant Building Registry town. ensure the safety of people living is to get current owners to keep Mostly sunny, with a high near Mostly sunny, with a high near She said some years ago coun- in the town’s older structures, their properties in a presentable 41. 32. Northwest wind around 10 cil identified the three areas particularly those with frequent condition. Sunday Night - A chance of mph. where it would conduct a Rental turnover through rental activity. “In the case of the vacant prop- rain and snow after 2am. Mostly Inspection Program and a Vacant “I believe even as we are reach- erty registry you make the owner cloudy, with a low around 30. Saturday Night - Clear, with a Building Registry, and named ing to secure new housing of var- aware we are interested in what Chance of precipitation is 30%. low around 18. them West Loop Re-development ious types in the community, we is happening to the condition of District, Downtown Conservation have a responsibility to look at our their property – even as they are Area and the Southeast Crescent existing housing stock, many of vacant – because many vacant Re-development District. which have some significant age Burcham told council there has on them,” Burcham told council. See TOWN, page A2 County launches new small business development program From Pulaski County ley Development Corporation and nity engagement, retail and com- will now operate the facility and mercial development, economic Pulaski County has officially run its Small Business Solutions’ diversification and residential RV & Primitive launched a small business devel- services from within the business development,” stated Jon Wyatt, opment program that will focus center. The center will soon be Chair of the EDA. “It is exciting Camping on providing assistance and sup- officially renamed the ‘Pulaski to see the EDA’s business plan Campground port to the County’s small busi- County Innovation Center.’ reaching its goals of supporting Kayak nesses and local entrepreneurs “Small business development small businesses with profession- Tubing looking to start or grow their has been a priority of the EDA al services, having a new tourism Shuttle Service business. The rollout of the pro- ever since we transitioned from an department in place to market the gram coincides with the acquire- Industrial Development Authority County, and to be aggressively ment of the NRV Business Center, in April of 2018, and broadened advancing many of the EDA’s 2257 Reed Creek Drive, Draper, VA 24324 a mixed-use business incubator in our focus to include small busi- other strategic targets during (276) 620-1374 Fairlawn, VA. The County re- ness and entrepreneurial support these challenging times.” [email protected] cently received ownership of the services, tourism and marketing, Like Us On Facebook facility from the New River Val- workforce development, commu- See BUSINESS, page A3 WE’VE GOT JOBS, JOBS, JOBS! Clerical positions available in Pulaski and Radford are temporary to permanent positions with great companies! Classifieds Jobs in Pulaski available paying $13.50 - $18.00 per hour. Lots of jobs available in Meadows of Dan and FREE Hillsville areas as well. Valley Staffing Inc. Call 540-808-3949 Wright Ave., Dublin, Va. SOMETHING TO SELL? TO SOMETHING 540-674-3103 We've Got Got We've Locally Owned & Operated • www.valleystaffingjobs.com Page A2 - The Patriot - February 19, 2021 some reasonable time as well as ally make a ruling that a partic- “There might be other items the community, not just a single town staff to get acclimated with ular part of the town designated that you might identify during in- property. Town the programs. by street and block either has de- spection that have to do with other “What we found is once you Continued from Page A1 “I believe what’s on the books teriorated or is in the process of sections of the code.” identify the program and where we need to enforce, or we need to deteriorating and has a significant Responding to a question from you are going to start, it caused properties deteriorate more rap- remove it from the books (town number of rental properties. Un- Councilman Brooks Dawson, some landlords to begin working idly than if they are occupied. code),” she added. der that determination the council Burcham said when a rental prop- on other properties because they “The rental inspection program Councilman Michael Reis can then create as many districts erty is inspected and it passes, the knew you were coming. It was – again limited to property in asked if the town would keep the as you want,” she said. landlord would get a certificate just a question of when. Once these conservation and rehabili- three districts already established Burcham said it would be 60 showing the property is good for they understand council supports tation districts – would ensure the or make the programs town-wide. to 90 days before full implemen- four years unless the town gets a it and would stand behind it, it individuals who rent properties “We can’t make them town- tation of the programs, and that complaint. has positive effects. in these areas are living in safe wide. State code doesn’t allow time would be used to do the data “Through the process of do- “Some people will see the conditions. The checklist used for that,” Burcham said. “You have to collection needed to administer ing the inspection the tenant is checklist and see what they need that is similar to that used for a create districts.” them properly and give staff time aware of the fact they can bring to do and decide they just won’t Section Eight inspection. Burcham suggested conducting to conduct an education program. concerns to the town. I read over rent it again. That’s certainly “I would like council to in- the programs in one of the three Burcham said it is not unusual the weekend (on social media) their choice. Then it comes under dicate if you are interested in districts the first year, move to a when a rental inspection program someone had a complaint that a the vacant building registration,” continuing these programs or second one the next year and then is established that you have push- landlord was not fixing a water Burcham explained. ‘re-invigorate’ the programs,” the third. back from landlords. leak and the tenant was having a In that situation, Burcham said Burcham continued. “You can put them on a four- “My experience is that a year significant water bill. It’s that type there’s a concern as to where She said the town would use year cycle meaning the fourth into the program the landlords of thing we could better respond does that tenant can go? existing staff to move into these year you would go back. And will tell you it isn’t as bad as to because [with the rental inspec- “I think we have enough hous- programs after a compilation there are probably other areas that they anticipated,” Burcham said. tion program] we have some teeth ing in our town currently that of addresses and notification of should be looked at for possible “There’s uncertainty and the un- to it. people can find another place. property owners - giving them designation. Council would actu- known is frightening to all of us, But I think we also have an obli- so I would expect that we would “We can’t do anything about gation to our public to make sure move into it slowly and that’s why making the landlord fix the leak, they are in safe housing. And we PUBLIC HEARING I believe we should start with one but we can tell the tenant the other can’t say that today because we of the three districts then move sources they can go to to get that don’t have this type of program. TOWN COUNCIL forward. That also makes it man- relief,” Burcham said. “I think when people see what TOWN OF PULASKI, VIRGINIA ageable from a staff standpoint.” “I think this should be a prior- you’re doing they understand. For Councilman Greg East recalled ity,” East said. “When it was dis- instance, if there isn’t a handrail The Town Council of the Town of Pulaski, Virginia will hold the establishment of the rental in- cussed before we said we have a going up a set of stairs, that is a a public hearing on Tuesday, March 2, 2021, at 7:00 p.m.