Apr. 17--TAZEWELL, Va. -- With a $4 million economic stimulus prize on the horizon less than two weeks away, administrative and staff personnel of the Tazewell County Public Service Authority will be putting in some extra time this weekend to process the outstanding 640 easements for the Baptist Valley Sewer Project to qualify for funds available to the Department of Environmental Quality through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

"For as long as I have been working on community projects, I have never had to get that many easements in that short a period of time," Jim Spencer, Tazewell County administrator said. "With June 1 as a deadline, I don't see any other way to process that many easements except to bring in all the staff I can, and work from 8 a.m., to 4:30 p.m., (today) and Saturday."

The PSA has been working to find funding for the Baptist Valley East Phase I Sewer Project since as early as 1992 when Spencer was first associated with the PSA. "The absence of sewer lines in that area has hindered growth," Spencer said. "People can't build homes there because the septic tanks can't percolate the waste water.

"A June 1, deadline seems like a major challenge for 640 easements, and we need the community to come together so we can achieve that goal," Spencer. "The funds are available and the citizens deserve our best effort."

Spencer said the PSA sent out a mailing out to all the property owners along the sewage line right-of-way. The total project cost is $11 million. With $4 million in grants, including the stimulus funds, and $4 million in a zero interest loan, the project is a realistic possibility. He said that property owners can come to the PSA office in the Tazewell Mall near Magic Mart.

"Eric Young, the county attorney will be there with us, so it won't take too long to do the easement," Spencer said. "We'll have it set up like an assembly line."

Spencer said that he hopes to make a good start toward completing all the easements during the next two days. "We need the community's help to accomplish this, but I think we can do it," he said.

-- Contact Bill Archer at barcher@bdtonline.com

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