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<br />35 <br /> <br />TUESDAY <br /> <br />MARCH 8, 1977 <br /> <br />City Manager Noland reviewed with Council the recently-received Mass Transit <br /> <br />Technical Study report, as prepared by Wilbur Smith & Associates, with City Manager <br /> <br />Noland pointing out that Federal funding for capital improvements in the City's <br /> <br />transit system, as suggested by the study consultants, might require a "lead-time" <br /> <br />of as much as two years (from date of application). Councilman Greene, in <br /> <br />describing the report as being excellent, suggested that implementation of certain <br /> <br />recommendations therein be delayed until the recommended buses are acquired; and <br /> <br />.- <br /> <br />Councilman West, commenting on public transit experience and operations in Richmond, <br /> <br />Virginia, suggested that experience information be obtained from cities of comparable <br /> <br />size (of Martinsville). Meanwhile, consideration of this study report was continued. <br /> <br />City Manager Noland brought to Council's attention the fact that the 1977 Virginia <br /> <br />General Assembly failed to enact (being defeated in the Virginia Senate) proposed <br /> <br />HB #855, against which Council has previously registered objections, but did enact <br /> <br />"companion" HB Il2l60, which will eventually provide more State aid to localities, <br /> <br />particularly toward the cost of law enforcement. In addition, one of the last <br /> <br />actions by the General Assembly during its 1977 session, much to the surprise of <br /> <br />local governments, was the enactment of SB #735 continuing and/or extending a <br /> <br />moratorium (already in effect for the past six years) on annexation proceedings by <br /> <br />/,.-. <br /> <br />Virginia cities for a period of ten years. After some discussion of the moratorium <br /> <br />extension bill and noting that one or more other Virginia city governments already <br /> <br />have gone on record as requesting Virginia's Governor, The Honorable Mills E. <br /> <br />Godwin, Jr., to veto said moratorium bill, and upon motion by Vice-Mayor Cole, seconded <br /> <br />by Councilman West, with Councilman Greene voting against the motion and all other <br /> <br />members of Council voting in the affirmative, Council adopted the following resolution <br /> <br />requesting Governor Godwin to veto said SB #735: <br /> <br />WHEREAS, traditionally and historically, out of Virginia's unique system <br />of independent cities has evolved a complicated legal system of court <br />regulation of cities' growth, at the same time isolating the cities so <br />as to limit unduly the expansion of the cities' tax base, and <br />