City Council

May 26, 2021 Joint Meeting with City Council and Henry County Board A joint meeting of the Henry County Board of Supervisors and Martinsville City Council was held on Wednesday, May 26, 2021, beginning at 6 pm at the Martin-Lacy Lecture Hall at New College Institute, 191 Fayette Street, for the purpose of reviewing a Memorandum of Understanding between the City and County regarding reversion matters. In attendance for the City were Mayor Kathy Lawson, Vice Mayor Jennifer Bowles. Council Member Danny Turner, Council Member Chad Martin, and Council Member Tammy Pearson. Also, in attendance were City Manager Leon Towarnicki, Assistant City Manager/City Attorney Eric Monday, Attorney Stephen Piepgrass of Troutman Pepper Law Firm, representing the City, and a number of other City staff and employees. Representing Henry County were Board Chairman Jim Adams, Vice- Chair Debra Buchannan, Board Member David Martin, Board Member Ryan Zehr, Board Member Tommy Slaughter, and Board Member Joe Bryant, County Administrator Tim Hall, County Attorney George Lyle, and Attorney Jeremy Carroll with the firm of Guynn Waddell Carroll and Lockaby, PC, representing Henry County, along with a number of other County staff and employees. The meeting began at 6:00pm with Mayor Kathy Lawson calling City Council to order followed by Henry County Board of Supervisor’s Chairman Jim Adams calling the Henry County BOS to order. City Attorney Eric Monday opened with brief remarks and then introduced Attorney Stephen Piepgrass representing the City, and Attorney Jeremy Carroll representing Henry County. Piepgrass and Carroll summarized a brief timeline of the current reversion process, beginning with the City Council vote in December, 2019, extending through the mediation meetings in late April, 2021. They then proceeded item by item, reviewing the 18 points outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding, followed by a brief summary of next steps, action by the Commission on Local Government, and the special three judge panel to be appointed later following the COLG’s finding. City Attorney Monday followed up with summary comments, recommending to City Council that the Memorandum of Understanding be approved. County Attorney George Lyle likewise followed up with comments, also recommending to the Board of Supervisors that the Memorandum of Understanding be approved. Mayor Kathy Lawson then invited comments from City Council Members who then individually voiced their comments in order of Council Member Pearson, Council Member Martin, Council Member Turner, Vice Mayor Bowles, and Mayor Lawson. Board Chairman Jim Adams then invited individual comments from Board of Supervisor Members in order of Vice-Chair Buchanan, Board Member Bryant, Board Member Slaughter, Board Member Zehr, Board Member Martin, and Chair Adams. Following Chairman Adams’ comments, Mayor Lawson then called for a motion from City Council to approve the MOU – the motion was made by Council Member Turner, seconded by May 26, 2021 Joint Meeting with City Council and Henry County Board Council Member Martin, with the following roll call vote: Lawson, aye; Bowles, aye; Turner, aye; Martin, aye; and Pearson, aye. Board Chairman Adams then inquired as to the pleasure of the Board and a motion was made by Board Member Martin, seconded by Board Member Zehr to approve the MOU, with motion being passed by raise of hands with a 4–2 vote: Adams, Slaughter, Zehr, and Martin voting in favor of the MOU, and Buchanan and Bryant opposed. May 26, 2021 Joint Meeting with City Council and Henry County Board There being no further business, Chairman Adams received a motion and 2nd to adjourn the Board of Supervisors. Likewise, Mayor Kathy Lawson received a motion from Council Member Martin and a second from Vice Mayor Bowles, with all Council Members voting in favor. The joint meeting adjourned at 7:20pm. ______________________________________ ______________________________________ Karen Roberts Kathy Lawson Clerk of Council Mayor