City Council

October 16, 2023 Council Meeting A closed meeting of the Council of the City of Martinsville, Virginia was held on October 16, 2023 in Council Chambers, Municipal Building, at 6:00 PM with Mayor LC Jones presiding. Other Council Members present included Kathy Lawson, Aaron Rawls, Lawrence Mitchell and Tammy Pearson. Staff present included City Manager Aretha Ferrell-Benavides and Community Development Director Keith Holland. Mayor Jones called the meeting to order and advised Council would go into Closed Session beginning at 6:00 PM. In accordance with the Code of Virginia, Title 2.2 Chapter 37, Freedom of Information Act and upon a motion by Council Member Lawson and seconded by Vice Mayor Rawls with the following 4-0 recorded vote: Vice Mayor Rawls, aye; Mayor Jones, aye; Council Member Mitchell, aye; and Council Member Lawson, aye. Council Member Pearson joined the Closed meeting at 6:05pm. Council convened in Closed Session to discuss the following matters: (A) Discussion concerning a prospective business or industry or the expansion of an existing business or industry where no previous announcement has been made of the business’ or industry’s interest in locating or expanding its facilities in the community, as authorized by Subsection 5, and (B) Discussion or consideration of the investment of public funds where competition or bargaining is involved, where, if made public initially, the financial interest of the governmental unit would be adversely affected, as authorized by Subsection 6. At the conclusion of Closed Session, each returning member of Council certified that (1) only public business matters exempt from open meeting requirements were discussed in said Closed Session; and (2) only those business matters identified in the motion convening the Closed Session were heard, discussed, or considered during the meeting. A motion was made by Council Member Lawson and seconded by Council Member Pearson with the following 4-0 recorded vote in favor to return to Open Session: Vice Mayor Rawls, aye; Council Member Pearson, aye; Council Member Lawson, aye; and Mayor Jones, aye. No action was taken out of closed session. There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 8:00pm. ______________________________________ ______________________________________ Karen Roberts, Clerk of Council LC Jones, Mayor