City Council
Regular MeetingMartinsville, VA · February 3, 2016
Minutes
February 3, 2016
A special meeting of the Council of the City of Martinsville, Virginia, was held on
February 3, 2016, in Council Chambers, Municipal Building, at 8:00 A.M. with Mayor
Danny Turner presiding. Council Members present included: Danny Turner, Gene
Teague, Sharon Brooks Hodge, Jennifer Bowles and Mark Stroud. Staff present
included: City Manager Leon Towarnicki, Assistant City Manager Wayne Knox, and
Clerk of Council Karen Roberts.
Mayor Turner called the meeting to order.
Consider approval of a Joint Resolution with Henry County regarding House Bill
1384/New College Institute – City Manager Towarnicki explained House Bill 1384
which would allow New College Institute to enter into an operations and governance
agreement that may include a merger between NCI and other state colleges or
universities. He stated that the Henry County Board met February 2, 2016 and
adopted the first part of the resolution. Towarnicki stated that Staff recommended
that Council adopt the resolution. Teague said the best path to a 4-year university is
to approve this resolution, opening up the possibility of a merger and allowing
students more variety and opportunities. Bowles said she was definitely in support
and it was great to see the City and County in support. She said she looks forward to
seeing New College become the vision they had seen originally. Stroud made a motion
to approve the resolution with Hodge seconding the motion, all Council Members voted
in favor.
Teague made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 8:10 A.M., Hodge seconded the
motion with all Council Members voting in favor.
______________________________________ ______________________________________
Karen Roberts Danny Turner
Clerk of Council Mayor
Agenda
MARTINSVILLE CITY COUNCIL AGENDA
SPECIAL MEETING
Wednesday February 3, 2016
8:00 am – Special Meeting
1. Pursuant to Chapter 2, Section 5 of the City Charter and at the request of
the City Manager and a member of Council, the Martinsville City Council
will conduct a special meeting in Council Chambers, Martinsville Municipal
Building (second floor), 55 West Church Street, Martinsville, Virginia, on
Wednesday, February 3, 2016 at 8:00 am, for the following purpose:
A. Consider approval of a Joint Resolution with Henry County regarding
House Bill 1384/New College Institute
City Council
Agenda Summary
Date: February 3, 2016
Item No: 1A.
Department: City Manager
Issue: Consider approval of a Joint Resolution with Henry County
regarding House Bill 1384/New College Institute
Summary: Delegate Danny Marshall has introduced HB 1384 for
consideration during the 2016 session of the Virginia General Assembly. It would
allow New College Institute to enter into an operations and governance agreement
that may include a merger between NCI and a current state college/university; or
the delegation or assignment of some or all of the duties at NCI to that state
college/university. Co-Patrons of the bill include Del. Charles Poindexter, Del. Les
Adams, Del. David Toscano, and Senator Bill Stanley.
Attachments: Proposed Joint Resolution, and copy of HB 1384
Recommendations: Staff recommends approval of the Joint Resolution. Henry
County Board of Supervisors will be considering a similar action at their meeting
on Tuesday, February 2, 2016.
WHEREAS, educational opportunity and attainment are among the best ways for a
community to reach its full potential; and
WHEREAS, an avenue for these life-changing events in the Martinsville-Henry County
community is the New College Institute, which serves the region well in the areas of
undergraduate, graduate, and workforce training initiatives through its partnerships
with numerous colleges in the Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, these partnerships came after the original vision for NCI was to serve as a
branch campus for an existing four-year university, or an eventual stand-alone four-year
facility, only to see those plans halted by a faltering economy; and
WHEREAS, the path toward becoming a four-year institution always has been the
ultimate goal of the governing bodies of the City of Martinsville and the County of
Henry, as the City’s Strategic Plan and the County’s Legislative Package annually reflect;
and
WHEREAS, while NCI’s current organizational structure is of great benefit to
Martinsville and Henry County, an even greater impact could come with conversion to a
branch of a four-year institution or as a stand-alone four-year institution; and
WHEREAS, House Bill 1384 currently before the 2016 Virginia General Assembly
could potentially clear the path toward that ultimate goal of becoming a four-year
institution:
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, on this 2nd of February 2016, that the
Henry County Board of Supervisors and the Martinsville City Council jointly reinforce
their support of the New College Institute becoming a four-year institution, either as a
branch campus of a current institution or as a free-standing institution.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that both localities fully support and encourage the
passage of HB 1384 to enable this to occur.
Jim Adams, Chairman Danny Turner, Mayor
Henry County Board of Supervisors City of Martinsville
2016 SESSION
INTRODUCED
16104356D
INTRODUCED
1 HOUSE BILL NO. 1384
2 Offered January 22, 2016
3 A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Chapter 16.6 of Title 23 a section numbered
4 23-231.37, relating to the New College Institute; operations and governance agreement with a public
5 institution of higher education.
6 ––––––––––
Patrons––Marshall, D.W., Adams, Poindexter and Toscano; Senator: Stanley
7 ––––––––––
8 Referred to Committee on Education
9 ––––––––––
10 Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
11 1. That the Code of Virginia is amended by adding in Chapter 16.6 of Title 23 a section numbered
12 23-231.37 as follows:
13 § 23-231.37. Operations and governance agreement with a public institution of higher education.
14 Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, New College and any public institution of
15 higher education may enter into an operations and governance agreement that may include (i) the
16 merger of New College and the public institution of higher education on terms and conditions
17 acceptable to each institution or (ii) the delegation or assignment of some or all of the duties of New
18 College set forth in this chapter by New College to the public institution of higher education and the
19 assumption of such duties by the public institution of higher education. Such operations and governance
20 agreement shall be subject to the approval of two-thirds of the members of the governing board of New
21 College and two-thirds of the members of the governing board of the public institution of higher
22 education.
HB1384
1/27/16 13:17
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