Agenda 02/22/2005 - Laserfiche WebLink

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February 1,2005 9 A special called meeting of the Council of the City of Martinsville, Virginia, was held on Tuesday, February 1, 2005, in Council Chamber, Municipal Building, at 5 p.m. with Vice-Mayor Kimble Reynolds presiding. Members present included: Vice-Mayor Reynolds; James Clark; J. Ron Ferrili; and Terry Roop. City Manager R.R. "Dan" Collins, City Attorney Eric Monday, Assistant City Manager Wade Bartlett, and a number of guests were present. Mayor Joseph R. Cobbe was absent. With a quorum present, the vice-mayor called the meeting to order after technical delays for MGTV coverage. The vice-mayor welcomed the guests and explained the purpose of the special meeting, to cons'der a resolution supporting the establishment of a new state residential, baccalaureate degree-granting college in Martinsville or Henry County. Vice-Mayor Reynolds read the following resolution: WHEREAS, the residents of Southside Virginia have come to value higher education as a catalyst for economic revitalization; and WHEREAS, many calls for the establishment of a new public college in Southside Virginia have been made over the years, including State Senator Charles R. Hawkins of Pittsylvania County and, more recently, Lieutenant Governor Timothy M. Kaine; and WHEREAS, while the Commonwealth is determining its ability to maintain an ongoing commitment to a new institution, establishing a college will require local funds; and WHEREAS, in January 2004 the Harvest Foundation of the Piedmont presented the Commonwealth with a $50,000,000 challenge grant to help begin a new college in the Martinsville area; and WHEREAS, education and knowledge are the foundations of success in our modern economy and are necessary for the success of Southside as a region and WHEREAS, while the City of Martinsville has many needs that it must attend to for its residents, establishing a state baccalaureate degree-