Minutes 01/23/1973 - Laserfiche WebLink

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6'~ f" !J TUESDAY JANUARY 23, 1973 WHEREAS, the Governor's Ad Hoc Committee to review the Virginia Area Development Act has under date of December 21, 1972 submitted its report and recommendations; and WHEREAS, such report calls for planning District Commission to implement service on a regional basis and represents a break with precedent and changes the initial concept to which local governments in creating PDC's had given their consent; and WHEREAS, such report and recommendations, if followed, will in effect establish regional governments with local governments duly elected by their people surrendering their power to make critical governmental decisions to an authority-type group, unanswerable to the electorate; and WHEREAS, the aforesaid would see the existence and birth of a new layer of government far-removed from the control of the people, possessing the power to compete with existing local government, thus becoming an alternative to local government. THEREFORE, in recognition of the alarm and concern of local government and its people and in response to the current direction of bureaucratic developments lacking adequate safeguards, a voice must be heard and objective measures taken for control to remain with the electorate and to avoid the rapid decay of a community's very vital internal structure that has to and must answer to the people of a community; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the City Council of Martinsville, Virginia, does hereby state its objections to the recommendations of the Hahn Report as to powers of implementation and funding and pursuant to such objections, takes the following positions (l) That the West Piedmont Planning District Commission reduce its staff to the following personnel: Executive Director; Assistant Executive Director; Secretary; and three (3) planners of expertise (total employment not to exceed six); (2) That the District reduce its contribution to 15 cents per capita; (3) That the members of the Executive Committee of WPPDC shall be composed of only duly elected councilmen and supervisors; (4) That in view of the expert personnel employed by the different member jurisdictions that the WPPDC refrain and cease in duplication of services it is currently so attempting to render; (5) That the WPPDC act only in an advisory planning capacity and to so perform and act when requested to do so by the member jurisdictions and at their instructions and direction; and (6) That the WPPDC restrict and limit its function as initially approved and directed to advisory planning matters and to eliminate its involvement in social welfare programs beyong its scope of creation and authority. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the City Council of Martinsville, Virginia, instructs its representatives to the WPPDC to convey the above positions and to comply with same in their deliberations before the WPPDC; that copies of this Resolution be submitted to all member jurisdications of the Twelfth Planning District (WPPDC) for their consideration for adoption. ,Is/ Francis T. West, Mayor City of Martinsville, Virginia