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TItURSDAY, JUNE 1, 2000 <br /> <br />Mayor Crabtree stated that these planning sessions were no vacation, and that participants could expect long <br /> <br />hours and hard work to be done, with which Vice-Mayor Teague agreed. <br /> <br /> Under discussion of the budget for the City Manager's Office, Council Member Roop asked how <br />many personnel were in this office, and was told there were four. Mr. Roop then asked what the new line <br />item for Training included. Mr. Reynolds responded that this new line item represented a more accurate <br />reflection of expenditures for training and professional development costs as opposed to travel, where these <br />funds had been shown in the past. Mr. Roop then expressed his belief in the value of attendance of <br />appropriate national conferences, and his hopes that this practice could be renewed under better fiscal <br />conditions in the future. Mr. Reynolds noted that the budget shown did provide funds for the Council and <br />Staff to attend the annual Virginia Municipal League Conference in Crystal City, Virginia, in the fall. <br /> <br /> Under discussion of the budget for Legal Services, Mr. Reynolds explained that the major cost <br />increases here were related to the legal services involved with the Tultex bankruptcy case and increased <br />enforcement of the City' s property maintenance code. Council Member Roop stated that the City needed to <br />continue to press on the property maintenance code efforts, and also needed to consider the establishment of <br />a rental inspection and monitoring program. He also stated that he understood the need to follow a process <br />that involved dialogue with property owners, as well as the observance of time flames that allow for <br />compliance, though he was pleased that these time flames had been shortened. Mr. Reynolds stated that he, <br />other city staff and the City Attorney would be meeting on Monday, June 5, 2000, to discuss possible <br />changes that might further improve property maintenance code enforcement efforts. Mr. Roop stated that <br />this was, in his opinion, one of the most important functions the City performs, pointing out that greater <br />enforcement of these codes had resulted in fewer dwellings being sub-divided into apartments and fewer <br />problem residents. Mr. Roop then repeated his interest in the establishment of a rental maintenance program. <br /> <br /> <br />