The Democratic Primary Election for Governor, Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General will be held on June 8, 2021. Please click on the link for more information about early and absentee voting, as well as registration deadlines.
RICHMOND—Governor Ralph Northam today announced that STS Group AG, a leading global system supplier of interior and exterior parts for commercial vehicles, will invest $39 million to establish its first U.S. manufacturing operation in Wythe County’s Progress Park. The new facility, operating as subsidiary STS Group North America, will supply Volvo Trucks in Pulaski County and other truck and automotive facilities throughout the Midwest and Southeastern U.S. markets. Virginia successfully competed with North Carolina for the project, which will create 120 new jobs. Click on link below for full press release.
The Wythe County Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, April 13, 2021, at 6:05 p.m. to hear public comment for potential conveyance of lots in Progress Park or on Chapman Road from any of the following tax parcels: 27-61, 27-59, 42-41, 43-26 and 27-59A.
The hearing will take place in the Board Room of the County Administration Building, 340 South Sixth Street, Wytheville, Virginia.
Wythe County Fixed Wireless Broadband Development Request For Proposals/ Request for Qualifications
The Challenge
Wythe County is widely known for its fantastic transportation infrastructure. Our information infrastructure should match so residents and businesses have high-quality Internet service to learn, expand health care options, conduct business, seek entertainment and connect to one another at high speed with reasonable pricing. Wythe County wants to facilitate service expansion but does not want to serve as an authority or service provider.
The Proposed Solution
Design Nine of Blacksburg has just completed a broadband development study for Wythe County. Surveys of county residents indicate that many meet the FCC definition of unserved or underserved customers. Many rely on aging copper networks and have service speeds well below current demand and advertised service levels.
The study recommends Wythe County partner with a private provider to operate county-wide fixed wireless broadband service. To that end, the study includes preliminary engineering and signal propagation with approximate siting of redundant fixed wireless towers. Additional community poles and small towers will be needed to reach the most remote customers.
The Wythe County Board of Supervisors finds there is a current need, adopted public-private partnership guidelines and authorized staff to seek partnerships. The County hereby seeks proposals and qualifications from responsible partners who can meet the County’s expected outcomes.
Wythe County seeks to form long-term partnerships with qualified Fixed Wireless Internet Service Providers (WISP) and/or tower construction specialists to make county-wide residential and commercial broadband available to the vast majority of Wythe County consumers by July 2024.
Wythe County RFP for Public-Private Partnership for Broadband Expansion
Wythe County Public-Private Partnership Guidelines
The governing body of the Board of Supervisors of Wythe County, Virginia, will conduct a public hearing on the March 23, 2021, at 6:00 p.m. or as soon thereafter as the matter may be heard, to receive public comments on a proposed ordinance which would create a joint entity, to be known as the Mount Rogers Cigarette Tax Board, pursuant to Virginia Code Section 15.2-1300 et seq. The purpose of the Board would be to jointly administer the collection, accounting and enforcement of any cigarette taxes adopted by the Board of Supervisors of Wythe County, Virginia, and those of any other member locality. The proposed ordinance would further authorize the execution of the joint exercise agreement setting forth the powers, duties, membership and other matters pertinent to the newly-established board. The joint exercise agreement would be effective upon approval of at least two (2) localities within the Mt. Rogers region.
Although the Wythe County Board of Supervisors is currently holding in-person meetings, due to the public health threat posed by Covid-19, guidance issued by the CDC and Virginia Department of Health, in-person attendance may be limited to the facility's safe social distancing capacity; in lieu of an in-person appearance, the public may send comments to the County Administrator’s office by the following methods:
- Send an email to mgcollins@wytheco.org. Please include your name, address, and contact information.
- Send your written comments to the attention of the Clerk of the Board at 340 South Sixth Street, Wytheville, VA 24382 or leave your comments in the night drop box outside the County Administration Building entrance. Please include your name, address, and contact information.
A copy of the text of the proposed ordinance can be viewed HERE.