At a regular meeting of the Martinsville City Council on Tuesday, four city residents indicated their interest in being considered for the vacancy that exists on the council after Chad Martin’s resignation.
The four — Theresa Spencer, Lawrence Mitchell, Joe Martin, and Khalil Baker — all presented to the council as a candidate for the vacancy. Interviews will be held to select the newest council member.
City Manager Leon Towarnicki announced that he will retire after 41 years of service, effective in July.
Towarnicki also gave an overview of the recent tour of the west end neighborhoods by council members and other city officials. Four wheelers on Armstead Avenue and inoperable vehicles were among the issues noticed on the tour. A recap was provided on the subsequent neighborhood meeting that was held at Albert Harris Elementary School on Monday.
One resident expressed concern over the license plate reader cameras that are mounted in several areas. The condition of Paradise Inn on Fayette Street, and the safety of the structure, also was a concern for west end residents.
Towarnicki stated that there will be some additional meetings concerning local parks to gather improvement ideas from residents.
Police Chief Rob Fincher addressed the traffic cameras. “It’s checking tags, it doesn’t run plates,” he said, and indicated that the cameras are designed to recognize tags that are in a criminal information network. That system also assists with locating missing persons. There are plans to install live action cameras near local businesses, but there are no plans to put live action cameras in residential neighborhoods.
“Although it is legal, I personally feel that would be an invasion of privacy,” Fincher said. Once the live action cameras are installed, the information gathered is considered public.
Executive Director of The Boys and Girls Club of the Blue Ridge, Joanie Pettie, gave an update on the performance of the local club.
“We have had a wonderful year,” Pettie said. The local Boys and Girls Club is 1 of 84 clubs in the state of Virginia. There is currently a wait list for participants that wish to be a part of the club. Boys and Girls Club is active in each city school.
“Our clubs really do reach a lot of kids,” Pettie said. In the past year, the club requested transportation funds due to bus driver shortages and other transportation issues related to the pandemic. The funds that were received helped to acquire 3 used vans to help provide transportation to students. There are applications available online, in each school, or at the office at 311 Church Street in Martinsville, for students who wish to participate in the club.
City Council discussed and approved the establishment of The Citizen Advisory Board. Council member Tammy Pearson thanked the Chamber of Commerce for a successful Fast Track Trade Show. Council Member Kathy Lawson thanked the local Honor Guard for the services they provide to local veterans. She also announced a local business recently purchased the Sears building at The Villages of Martinsville. Vice-Mayor Aaron Rawls said the City of Martinsville’s podcast can be found online. The city’s Public Information Officer, Kendall Davis, said the podcast will soon be available on other platforms such as iTunes and Spotify.
