JONESVILLE, Va. — At Monday’s regular called meeting, the Lee County Board of Supervisors approved the decision to begin interviewing qualified and capable people for a budgeted emergency dispatch position in preparation for E-911 services.

The position is intended to provide additional relief to the existing dispatch staff, which has been stretched “thin on hours,” and to allow the new employee to be trained prior to E-911 being implemented. The position is also included within the Fiscal Year 2009-10 budget, and two new positions will become available upon the implementation of E-911 services within the county.

Board member Larry Mosley was in strong agreement with the new position recommendation.

“I think we need to go ahead and move forward with this,” stated Mosley. “911 will be right here on top of us and we need to be prepared for it.”

County Administrator Dane Poe spoke about the progress that was being made regarding future E-911 operations in Lee County.

“The Postal Service has begun to move. They said they would start on ours in August and they have,” Poe explained. “It is my understanding that they’ve already completed the review of one zip code in the county and have already gone to another one.”

“They are making some progress,” Poe added.

District 5 Supervisor Mark Allen Carter addressed concerned community members about the lack of noticeable action involving 911 services.

“I think it is important, too, that we make sure the public understands the reason 911 hasn’t moved any faster than it has is not because any lack of action on the county’s part,” Carter expressed.

Notices will be sent to residents concerning new addresses within the coming months. However, residents are not authorized to use their address immediately. Citizens need to wait for confirmation. An official notification will be released when the actual change takes place.

In closing, Chairman Carl Bailey expressed great relief on the subject of emergency services in Lee County.

“It’s been a waiting game but it has finally got here,” stated Bailey. “We’re getting close.”

In official county business, the board approved and/or discussed the following items:

• The abandonment of portions of First Avenue and unnamed street intersecting First Avenue in Rose Hill, Va., and the abandonment of a portion of East Main Street near Flatwoods, Va., were approved.

• The minutes of July 21, 2009 regular meeting

• The board accepted a proposal from Two Way Radio, Inc., for the installation of a 40 foot high communications tower — which will be located on the south side of the courthouse — for the purpose of providing better communication in certain areas of the county. The total cost of the tower and installation will be $3,540. The money will be deducted from the annual E-911 budget.

• Approval of disbursements, monthly appropriations, payroll, quarterly departmental reports and treasurer’s report

• The Board of Equalization hearings deadline was set for March 30, 2010.

• Ashley Long was reappointed to the Southwest Virginia Community Corrections Board.

• The board accepted a building change order in the amount of $7,161.62 for the Airport Terminal project.

• A Disability Services Performance Agreement was established.

• A joint public hearing with the Lee County Board of Supervisors has been set for September 15 to discuss boundary adjustments for the town of Jonesville.

• The board approved a moral obligation contract on in order to finalize the agreement with the Public Service Authority to begin construction on the Ocoonita Water Project. Construction will begin within 60 days of approval bid.

• VDOT Jonesville Residency Engineer James Parsons addressed the board on the subjects of revenue sharing and coal severance. Parsons discussed a signed resolution by the Coal Committee requesting that the Board of Supervisors apply for revenue sharing money to work on a section of Route 606. The board approved Resolutions 09-030 and 09-031. Parsons then spoke about company layoffs and the dwindling financial situation of the VDOT agency.

“The financial situation hasn’t gotten any better and the department is still going forward with the commissioner’s blueprint to downsize the agency,” said Parsons. “As a department, we have issued several layoffs in the last two or three weeks.”