Board approves Centra Health request

The Bedford County Board of Supervisors, Monday night, unanimously approved a change of use request by Centra Health for a pavilion on New London Road.

    The 9,316 facility with a gravel parking lot, is located on a 22-acre tract. The late Al Stroobants built the pavilion for private gatherings and left the pavilion to Centra in his will. Centra plans to use it for public events, educational purposes, retreats and staff meetings.
    The planning commission unanimously recommended it for approval last month and nobody spoke at the supervisors’ public hearing on it Monday night.
    “I’m not used to no controversy, so I’m speechless,” commented District 1 Supervisor Dale Wheeler. “I don’t know how to act.”
    The supervisors unanimously approved the request.
    They also unanimously approved two other items.
    One was a request for a feasibility study on consolidating the county staff health insurance with the school division’s health insurance. The county and school division currently contract separately for employee health insurance. The feasibility study will examine whether the county can save money if the county and school division do this jointly. According to Susan Crawford, the county’s director of fiscal management, health insurance premiums currently cost the county $9.1 million each year. The feasibility study will cost $15,000.
    The other item approved was a request from the school division to re-appropriate $642,000 in school funds left over from last fiscal year. These funds may only be used for one-time expenses.