There is no Town Council meeting this week due to a Virginia Municipal League (VML) conference in Norfolk Oct. 19-21, 2008. Established 103 years ago, "VML is a statewide, nonprofit, nonpartisan association of city, town and county governments established to improve and assist local governments through legislative advocacy, research, education and other services." Membership includes all 39 cities in Virginia, 156 towns and 16 urban counties (counties often are members of VACo, or the Virginia Association of Counties). VML has several committees, one being legislative to track state actions which may impact members, and carries a staff of 57 employees.
Conference attendees may attend various seminars and workshops, interacting with counterparts from across the Commonwealth. The conference includes site visits, an exhibit hall of vendors, as well as FOIA seminars and orientation programs for new members. Recreational activities include a golf tournament and spouse's programs, music, food, dancing and a visit to Norfolk's ocean cruise terminal.
Attendees generally have a wide range of topics to choose from, allowing them to zero in on best practices from similar communities or on subjects most relevant to their own locality. Business matters include election of officers and are conducted under Robert Rules of Order. A sampling of this year's conference activities includes:
Keynote Address on "The Dollar & Cents of Sustainable Development
Effects of Real Estate Downturn on Local Governments Session
Employment Practices Liability (Town Track) Session
Emergency Management - Top 5 Things You Need To Know
State Budget Outlook & Its Effect on Local Budgets Session
Gov. Tim Kaine, Keynote Address
Brownfield Redevelopment (grant workshop)
Adaptive Reuse of Historic Buildings Roundtable
Succession Planning Roundtable
Communicating with
VDOT Roundtable
Engaging Citizens for a Safer Community Roundtable
Recycling Roundtable
University/Community Relations Roundtable
Christiansburg's own town manager, Lance Terpenny, was scheduled to preside over a session on "Intergovernmental Relations" (town track) focusing on state laws which denote possible approaches for towns and counties to establish good working relationships. Attendees learned about important legal aspects relative to sharing offices, reaching voluntary agreements and other topics.
Town Manager Terpenny also serves on the VML Executive Committee as Vice-President. There are six 2008-09 Policy Committees, including Community & Economic Development; Finance; Transportation; Environmental Quality; General Laws; and Human Development. Councilman Brad Stipes serves on the steering committee for Transportation Policy and D. Michael Barber serves on the steering committee for Finance. Councilman Ernie Wade serves on the Community and Economic Development committee, and former council members Steve Huppert and Dan Canada had served on the Human Development and Environmental Quality committees, respectively.
Future VML meetings include the annual Legislative Day in Richmond and next year's convention will be held in Roanoke from Oct. 18-20, 2009.
