Minutes 07/27/1971 - Laserfiche WebLink

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I I) . ~ TUESDAY JULY 27, 1971 We will welcome an offer to discuss this matter further with you or other members of the City Council, the West Piedmont Planning Commission, and other interested officials or groups. Certainly, I trust you will extend a cordial invitation to the appropriate officials of the State Department of Mental Hygiene and Hospitals to visit with us to inspect the site and discuss the various points outlined in this letter prior to their making a decision. Next, Mr. Harry C. Gravely, President of the Martinsville-Henry County Chamber of Commerce, presented the following letter endorsing the project and the efforts to locate the proposed mental hospital in Martinsville as well as offering the Chamber's services toward coordinating these efforts for relay to and through the West Piedmont Planning District Commission: On Wednesday, July 21st, the Executive Committee of The Board of Trustees of Memorial Hospital of Martinsville and Henry County reaffirmed an earlier decision to make available a reasonable acreage of property to the State through the City of Martinsville for the location of one of the five regional acute mental hospitals which have been proposed by the State Dept. of Mental Hygiene and Hospitals. This action was confirmed in a letted addressed to Mayor Renick, with copies mailed to other appropriate officials and citizens in the area. This letter also outlined the points to which favorable consideration could be warranted when the State made the final site selection. The trustees also stated that they felt The Chamber of Commerce would be a more effective vehicle for collecting and coordinating information, preparing and making the formal presentation when and where required. On Thursday, July 22nd, the Executive Committee of The Chamber unanimously agreed to accept this responsibility, if it were in order. It is The Chember's understanding that such a presentation must be initiated by one of our governing bodies, and since the site suggested is within the corporate limits of Martinsville we assume that this would be your responsibility. When our Executive Vice President, Larry Aydlett, discussed this on Monday morning with City Manager Noland, it was inferred that the City might prefer and request that The Chamber of Commerce prepare the proposal in their behalf and with its cooperation. The mechanics of a site was discussed, along with the pros and cons of such a hospital for Martinsville and Henry County, by The Chamber's Executive Committee, which was unanimour in its opinion. This opinion will be presented for final action before The Chamber's Board of Directors on August 5th. In the interest of time, since this proposal must be in the hands of the West Piedmont Planning District on or before August 20th, the Executive Committee asked The Chamber's Executive Vice President to meet with Mr. Bushnell from the hospital and other suggested officials and begin forming the presentation material.