By Amanda Collins
classifieds@theenterprise.net

Goats may offer a possible solution to the kudzu issue in the Town of Stuart.

Terri Alt, unit coordinator of Family and Consumer Sciences, Virginia Cooperative Extension, broached the subject at a Stuart Town Council meeting last week.

Alt proposed a plan that could possible help eliminate kudzu, an invasive vine that grows about a foot per day, in problem areas that include Commerce Street, Rye Cove Road, Wood Brothers Drive.

Alt presented before and after photos from others using goats as part of a vegetation control project.

She said portable, rather than permanent, fencing would allow different areas to be targeted. The goal would be to use local goats for the project and possibly get students and/or club members involved in the project.

Mayor Ray Weiland the project is a great idea and would rather see goats instead of seeing chemicals being sprayed, but he noted the town doesn’t own all of the property affected. Property owners would have to agree to the project, he said.

Referring to goats as “the chew crew,” Rebecca Adcock, vice mayor, volunteered to meet with the committee working on the project. Additional information will be presented at upcoming council meetings.

The council also:

• Heard information on the Stuart Volunteer Fire Departments call responses in 2018.

Terry Dalton, council member, presented the 2018 call response information for the Stuart Volunteer Fire Department. He said a total of 4,440 hours and a total of 223 calls were answered in 2018. Nearly 100 of the calls were inside the town limits, while more than 100 calls were outside of town limits. The department provided mutual aid on 41 calls and received mutual aid on five calls.

Dalton also said the department plans to expand its service area to include a total of 33 square miles. Areas covered under the new plan will include Virginia 8 to the North Carolina line, Dobyns Road, Shingle Shop Road, Wayside Road and Russell Creek Road.

The additional mileage will expand the department’s coverage area to a total of 75 square miles.

The expansion must first be approved by the Patrick County Board of Supervisors.

• Discussed the progress of construction at the new location for the new Stuart Volunteer Fire Department location.

Chris Corbett, Town Attorney, said officials have been waiting to hear back from Rural Development. “With the federal government shutdown, we’re not hearing anything from” that agency, Corbett said. Weiland said that he would like to get everything started.

“I don’t think anyone really feels comfortable pulling the trigger (and starting work) without somebody from RD telling us that,” Corbett said.