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July 5-6, 2001 <br /> <br />111 <br /> <br />A strategic planning session of the Council of the City of Martinsville, Virginia, <br /> <br />was held on July 5-6, 2001, in the Conference Room of Memorial Hospital of <br /> <br />Martinsville & Henry County, beginning at 4:30 P. M., with Mayor Mark Crabtree <br /> <br />presiding. Council Members present included: Mark A. Crabtree, Mayor; M. Gene <br /> <br />Teague, Vice Mayor; and Council Members J. Ronald Ferrill and Terry L. Roop. <br /> <br />Council Member Bruce H.T. Dallas did not attend. R. David Blackman, President of <br /> <br />Blackman & Associates, moderated the meeting. <br /> <br />Mr. Blackman reviewed the principle issues for the event: establishment of City <br /> <br />priorities for Council and Staff; review of progress on the 2000 Council Plan and <br /> <br />establishment of expectations for the coming year; consensus of how the City can best <br /> <br />discipline itself to maintain focus on its priorities; and discussions regarding staff <br /> <br />realignment and restructuring. <br /> <br />Council discussed the approach the City should take regarding economic <br /> <br />development. Tom Harned, Economic Development Director, provided an overview of <br /> <br />his plans, expectations, and indication of the time frames required in making the <br /> <br />transition from the Patrick Henry Development Council to the City. Basic principles <br /> <br />discussed include: <br /> <br />· The City economic development blueprint will be aimed at <br /> developing good working relationships with all regional <br /> economic development entities and will not be dependent on the <br /> reciprocity of other area economic development agencies. The <br /> overriding goal of City efforts will be to do what is in the best <br /> interest of Martinsville and the Southern Virginia Region. <br />· City efforts will be aimed at meeting the needs of prospects <br /> regardless of regional implications. <br />· Principle objective of City economic development efforts should <br /> be to ma~:ket City commercial and industrial sites, and develop <br /> new jobs and capital investment for the MartinsVille area. '.: · <br /> <br /> <br />