Terrific Tuesday: Time for numbers, numbers, dollars and FARST
Time for a little light on budget numbers … and FARST.
Hey it’s Terrific Tuesday again. How’s everything in your neck of the woods?
So this week some budget numbers should hit the page for both the Botetourt school division and the county. What they will be still depends on Richmond to an extent. There are three versions of budgets flying around down there.
Here in Botetourt it all depends. School Board should meet some numbers on Thursday. Supposedly the county numbers are to hit the page on Friday morning. They will be having the first county budget committee meeting on Friday according to County Administrator Kathleen Guzi last week.
This has been a mute budget season thus far. I have been covering budgets for 10 years–first one like this and there have been some strange years. This one takes the cake.
So does anyone want to talk about money? How much, where from and what is staying and what might go? Nope. Silence. It’s almost like a shell game with politics nowadays on every level of government. Sadly on the local level, it has become a game of hurry up and wait and sometimes blame each other for the bad news. Then there has to be discussion. What really is important. People, what do you think is important. After all it is your money and your vote, your school children, sheriff’s dept. EMS, your services…. Click here for emails of your elected supervisors.
Had loads of interest in last week’s column about the fire and rescue volunteers. Sadly the FARST question still has no answers. I had a late evening call about, “How can they violate code?” So I looked at the code part again. Jes’ cause, I am going to drop that in again “right cheer.” Timely to call me on a Monday when the reader looks for Terrific Tuesday the next day. Though I heard nothing back on the “ride along” after I posted my phone number last week, a few more concerned folks called me up about this and other county news. Ha!
“2-115. Relation to the fire and rescue steering team (‘FARST‘)” in its entirety: “(a) FARST, or its successor, shall maintain its role with regard to overseeing policy development relating to the provision of emergency services. FARST, or its successor, shall continue to make recommendations to the county administrator and the board of supervisors. Nothing in this enactment shall limit, transfer, or replace the duties and authorities of FARST.”
In Albemarle County, Virginia they have a cooperative volunteer and paid fire and rescue system that is highly touted which works for the betterment of the community. I think we should send a few emissaries up there to have a talk and see how it’s done as we could use a few pointers right now. Read about it!
Blue Ridge resident Mary Leonard’s letter can be read again for all of the remarks about FARST. It is the third letter addressing the issue and a subject of numerous blog comments.
Time for a meeting of FARST. Time for numbers, time for dollars, too. Time for a meeting of the minds. Most of all it is time to have the good sense to work together.
See ya next week!
March 12, 2013 - 3:19 PM
It doesn’t take a journalist to use google to find out its all smoke and mirrors. Maybe you should ride to Albemarle yourself and check it out. Anybody can have a nice county website. Just take a look at this article http://www.nbc29.com/story/20957718/fire-rescue-changes-take-effect-in-albemarle
The FIVE member Board of Supervisors is the only party that can resolve the issue. The choice is simple: If the county wants a paid ES staff, the Board must increase property taxes. If the county wants paid and volunteer departments then the Board must establish an adminstrative staff that can build and maintain those relationships. Yet the Board remains silent.
Some might look at our situation the same way as we have paid in the daytime. That is not a critical story at all, but reflects the trend as we have seen it here in our own county. Obviously the County of Albemarle is proud of what they are doing and have not changed their website because of that story. Maybe you should re-read the article. Jes’ Saying. The paid staff as well as the volunteers are needed particularly in daytime. But we have money issues here and grants ending. We should be much more concerned about what happened to FARST!
To this Cathy Benson lady who is not informed at all about the complete true details of County Career staff. You have no need to do a ride along, because you have no plans to do anything but bash the hard working Career staff. The staff in this county wants only to come in and do their job in a professional and kind manor for the public. What your fascination with trying to make the entire County staff to be such bad people is beyond me! The volunteers do a fantastic Job, but they do have work and family, and at times you must make time for that. The career staff is a supplement to the County and are available 24/7 and 365. Regarless of weather or holiday’s! The Career fire/EMS trucks respond with in 2-4 mins after being dispatched! It takes a little longer for volunteers when they are not at the station with their trucks. Wouldn’t you want a quick response availible once you or your family are in need? Again, about your ride along comments, all you need to do is go buy a scanner and listen to Botetourt County Fire / EMS frequencies. Listen for not only how quick, but how ofter you here a Medic truck with a 7 in front of the number or fire truck with a 7. This is your Career staff at work, responding to the people who matter in this county, the citizens! Not your crappy comments, that are pathaticly in accurate, want a good post? Ask for call stats in this county for hospital transport with times…. then comare to volunteer trucks in this county. The fact is, they are not as active as you think. The most active Rescue/Medic truck in the County is Read Mountain, which is technically a Roanoke County Station.. Facts speak lounder then words and I can only hope the citizents of this county know and search for the facts and dont listen to your lies. Botetourt Career staff do run night calls and weekend calls as well as daytime calls, in the entire county. Personally I would never alow such a person, with such a horrible attiutude torward the people who may be called to help you one day, step foot inside my fire/ems agency.I hope you don’t need the Career staff of this county one day, you may regret your words! Volunteers are a great asset to the county, but may not always be available,
Thanks!
Concerned citizen and county resident, with more facts then you, obviously!
Can I ride along? I ask again. No one is bashing the career staff just asking that the same courtesy is allowed the volunteers. I haven’t said one bad thing about career staff. However… I don’t think you should ever threaten not to serve the citizen even me. That doesn’t come across like the professional you claim to be. I guess I will try to only get sick when Fincastle Volunteer Rescue Squad is on call. I repeat the mantra of the volunteer, help we need along with our paid staff. Where is FARST???
WOW!!! As a life long county resident, tax payer and concerned citizen I am at a loss for words after reading Cassie’s comments. However I will press on because I certainly do not understand why she (or anyone) feels that the career staff has been bashed. I feel the county supports the career staff but when issues are brought forth that our officials do not respond to then it leaves questions as to why there is no response. This county faces some tough issues and the citizens need answers. Not one person has questioned the professionalism of the career staff. Cassie I hope you are regretting your misspoken words as they certainly don’t project what you were trying to feed us. Cathy Benson was personally attacked by you. Does this mean that if you do not like or do not agree with others in the county that they should be concerned about the service they receive? I certainly hope not. I hope those words were spoken in anger from the passion you obviously have for your job or at least someone close that is career. What everyone should be focusing on is working together for the betterment of this county so many call home. I’ve always been proud to live here but not always happy with how the county is run. Now this question has been asked numerous times without reply…where is FAUST??? It has been speculated that it has been kidnapped, potentially held for ransom. The fact is…it disappeared. How about someone answer the hard question….what the heck happened to it? The people want to know and we aren’t going to stop asking until we get some answers! Glad to see supervisor Leffel in support of the need for volunteers. Also glad to see a new supervisor (Martin) on the budget committee. When the same ones are on there for years it becomes stale. Mr. Martin don’t let us down…so many are counting on your experience. Happy Tuesday everyone…smile and be kind….