Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Historic Preservation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board divided over $63,170 plan to study relocating 1901 courthouse statue; 30‑day delay defeated 4–3
Summary
Supervisors debated whether to pay Moseley about $63,170 to develop designs and historic‑review materials to move a 125‑year‑old statue from the 1901 courthouse to the new Verona courthouse; a motion to postpone for 30 days failed 4–3 and proponents said they would fund initial work from personal infrastructure accounts pending historic‑commission review.
The Augusta County Board of Supervisors spent extended time debating whether to fund design and historic‑review work to relocate a 125‑year‑old statue from the county's 1901 courthouse to the new Verona courthouse.
Staff presented a Moseley proposal estimated at $63,170 to develop construction bid documents, prepare a third‑party preliminary cost estimate and assist with Staunton's Historic Preservation Commission review and bid administration. The contract breakout included $24,196 for design, $4,163 for the third‑party estimate, $9,984 for historic‑committee assistance and $24,764 for bid assistance and construction administration.
Supporters argued the statue is a historical court landmark that should remain associated with the county's courts in Verona. Opponents said the $63,170 figure is only a beginning and that total relocation costs could be much higher; some said county infrastructure funds are better spent on parks, sidewalks or core services. One supervisor said there had not been "overwhelming citizen input" asking for the statue's move.
A motion to delay action for 30 days and revisit the item at a January work session failed 4–3. "Motion defeated, 4 3," the chair recorded. After the failed postponement, a supervisor moved to proceed with the Moseley work and said he and another supervisor would fund the initial effort from their infrastructure accounts, noting the county could stop paying for additional phases if historic‑commission review halted progress.
Board members also debated whether the county should pay for full design prior to obtaining Staunton's historic review. Staff said the city will want drawings showing how the statue would be removed and what would be placed on the 1901 building; the contract may be phased so the county pays only for completed tasks if the move is denied.
The discussion closed with a mix of votes and amendments about pausing work until the January work session and about when billing could begin; the transcript records at least one subsequent procedural vote recorded as 5–2 on a related funding motion. The board did not record a final unanimous decision in the transcript excerpted here.
