Bristol, Va., City Council Grapples Over BVU Appointment

By David McGee
Staff Writer / Bristol Herald Courier
Published: July 2, 2008

BRISTOL, Va. – The newly reorganized City Council wasted no time on Tuesday disagreeing about an appointment to the Bristol Virginia Utilities board of directors.

In a 3-2 split, the council approved Vice Mayor Fred Bowman for the BVU seat despite an attempt by newly sworn council members Jim Heaney and Guy Odum to place Heaney on the utility’s board.
It was the only challenge to a series of council appointments to about 30 boards and commissions made during the annual reorganizational meeting.

“I didn’t think that was the best thing for the city to do,” Odum said of Bowman’s appointment. “I think there will be some controversy over that, and it would be have been better to put Mr. Heaney on there. He [Heaney] has some fresh ideas. It would give the city the opportunity to have said we’re making changes.”

Concerns about BVU’s debt – especially its OptiNet telecommunications services – has been a prime topic during the past two city elections.

Heaney said he believes voters are demanding change.

“I felt the city people made it clear they didn’t feel some things were going in the right direction. I felt the BVU board was one that possibly could use a fresh opinion and felt either Guy or myself should be on the board,” Heaney said. “Fred is a very intelligent person, and I have nothing against Fred, but I felt the people were looking for new opinions and Fred represented part of the old establishment – if you want to use a cliché.”

In two years on the council, Bowman hasn’t served on the BVU board. However, his son, Freddie, works for BVU as a tree trimmer.

“I don’t care what board I serve on,” Bowman said when asked about the Heaney nomination. “If people trust me to do it, I’ll do it and do the best job I can.”

Bowman said he was asked to serve on the BVU board.

“Just because my son works there, he’s got just as much right as anybody in this city to work there. Jim’s [Rector] boy works up there,” Bowman said.

He said his son applied for several jobs in city departments, but was turned down because he wasn’t qualified, but was hired by BVU because he was.

Committee appointments are historically made during the council’s annual July reorganizational meeting and each council member serves on an average of six boards and commissions. All are asked prior to the meeting what boards they would like to serve on, Mayor Jim Rector said.

“Historically, the senior people will get the seats they want,” Rector said. “But the [BVU] board has no dealings with personnel matters. It’s strictly a policy board.”

Rector, who was the unanimous choice to retain the mayor’s post, also got a unanimous nod for another year on the BVU board.

In other matters, Odum was the lone dissenting vote to retain Bill Dennison as city manager during the council’s annual approval of city manager, city clerk and city attorney.

“I just feel like it’s time for a change – a new direction,” Odum said of the vote. “I think the voters of this city that elected me, that’s their feeling.”

Odum said he opposed Dennison’s nomination because the city needs some “fresh ideas and a fresh perspective.”

Steve Allen was again chosen city clerk and the firm of Curcio and Stout was retained as city attorney.

The council’s first regular meeting is set for July 8.

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