Editor, Gazette-Journal:

The report by Sherry Hamilton in the Oct. 25 issue of the Gazette-Journal ("County board hit by complaints on all sides") spoke to a range of issues, one of those, as addressed by Sharon Slaughter, involved the plight of the Brooks family and the destruction and loss of the use of their home.

This report spoke to the FEMA grant that provided the funding to elevate homes in the county damaged by storm flooding. Further comment was made that Mr. Brooks stopped the work because he claimed it was subpar and the building unsafe.

Additionally, this report commented upon action being taken by the Virginia Board of Contractors against the particular contractor involved in the attempt to elevate the Brooks home. Ms. Slaughter further added that this will be the third winter that this family has been without their home.

I know Wade Brooks and I am very familiar with his plight and concern. If Mr. Brooks did halt the work as reported, I must ask, where were those charged with inspection and contract compliance? I know Mr. Brooks to be a competent mechanic and skilled artisan. One need not be a structural engineer to discern that something went radically wrong in this contract. If this work was halted as reported, it obviously should have been halted much earlier in the process, as the home being elevated is now unfit for habitation and in danger of collapse.

With the county board of supervisors now proposing further regulations, many citizens are concerned about the proverbial law of unintended consequences. The county board of supervisors has largely turned a deaf ear to the concerns of many local citizens. Many of those citizens are, to put it bluntly, gun shy over the board’s propensity to initiate programs and regulations without adequate review and oversight.

Fortunately Ms. Geneva Putt of the current board has exercised considerable judgment in regards to objecting to the regulatory zeal of this august body. In my opinion, the many citizens who spoke out during this meeting have expressed valid concerns about the wisdom of initiating yet another program and regulation without a thorough review and proper oversight.

Unfortunately, the concerns as previously expressed by a number of citizens have yet to be addressed by the county board of supervisors. That error need not be compounded by initiating even more actions and questionable regulation.

The sting of unintended consequences and little or no oversight has engendered the concern of many. We need not compound past errors.

Andrew Maggard

Port Haywood, Va.