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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1988 <br /> <br />justice training (particularly more funding or full funding for mandated <br />programs), a local-option sales tax, highway-street maintenance funding, <br />exemption of local utility services from State Corporation Commission <br />regulatory authority, the Virginia Tort Claims Act, water resource~ allocation, <br />sharing of State lottery proceeds with local governments, and amendments <br />requested by news media to the State's Freedom-of-Information Act. Both <br />Senator Goode and Delegate Reynolds indicated that they do not expect any major <br />legislative changes during the 1989 General Assembly session, inasmuch as this <br />session will be what is known as a "short session"; whereas, as to funding for <br />education (local public school systems, 74 of 134 such systems now facing <br />declining enrollments), Delegate Reynolds suggested that possibly the only way <br />for Martinsville and Henry County to counteract decreasing funding would be to <br />merge their public school systems. Messrs Goode and Reynolds also indicated <br />their support of a sharing of lottery proceeds with local governments, the use <br />of which, in Mr. Reynolds opinion, should be limited to financing non-recurring <br />expenditures. In concluding this agenda item consideration, Council expressed <br />appreciation to Messrs. Goode and Reynolds for appearing at this meeting and <br />discussing with Council these legislative matters. <br /> <br />Pursuant to duly-published notice, Council conducted a public hearing on Mr. <br />Walter E. Hazelwood's petition seeking the vacating and abandonment of the <br />section of unimproved Douglas Street situated between Graves'Street and Douglas <br />Avenue, which petition was recently recommended by the Planning Commission for <br />Council's approval. No objection to this petition was registered by any <br />citizen; however, City Manager Brown informed Council that two of the four <br />property owners involved, viz.., the owners of abutting lots #30 and #14, <br />fronting Douglas Avenue, are unwilling to pay their share of one-half of the <br /> <br /> <br />