Minutes 08/21/1996 - Laserfiche WebLink

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AUGUST 21-23, 1996 WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 21, 1996 A special and duly called meeting of the Council of the City of Martinsville, Virginia, with Mayor George B. Adams, Jr. presiding, was held Wednesday, August 21 through Friday, August 23, 1996, at Bernard's Landing Conference Center, Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia, beginning at 6:00 P.M. on August 21. The purpose of the meeting was the Council's annual Planning Retreat. Four members of Council were present: George B. Adams, Jr., Mayor; Mark A Crabtree, Vice-Mayor; Elizabeth H. Haskell; and M. Gene Teague. Councilman Bruce Dallas was absent due to family matters. Council began its Retreat at 6:00 P.M., starting with a general overview of the agenda for the event. All members then recessed for dinner, and the evening session resumed at 8:15 P.M. The evening session consisted of a presentation by guest speaker Wendell White, former City Manager of both Charlotte, NC, and Hampton, VA, who currently serves as the Director of the Virginia Institute of Government. Mr. White's presentation covered his perspectives on constant, rapid change in the local government environment, increasing demands and expectations on officials and staff, stagnant or decreasing resources, and fragmentation of governmental entities with a wide diversity of interests. Considerable discussion took place concerning the differences in governmental structure and capabilities in comparing Virginia to North Carolina, and views on what is needed for a city to be com- petitive in today's global economy. Much of this discussion also centered on cooperation of jurisdictions, and the issue of consoli- dation and/or sharing of service responsibilities. It was generally agreed that strong legislative action is needed to make key changes in the Virginia Constitution if Virginia's cities are to be as competitive as those in North Carolina and elsewhere. Additional discussion was held concerning the efforts that the City of Charlotte, NC, has made over the past several years, and why those efforts have been successful. Effective public/private part- nerships, major private sector initiatives, and cooperation between city and county governments were all cited as important factors in Charlotte's success. At the close of the above discussion the Council adjourned for the evening, at approximately 11:00 P.M. THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 1996 City Council reconvened its Annual Planning Retreat at 8:30 A.M. on August 22. The meeting opened with a discussion on team building, led by Gerald Austin of Blackman and Associates. Each member of Council and staff present had completed the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator instrument, and Mr. Austin led a discussion on how to interpret these forms. Further discussion was held on how to make use of the knowledge provided by the type indicators, and how this knowledge could contribute to a more successful team effort.