AdvanceChristiansburg

Virginia Municipal League's Annual Conference 2009 began on Sun 18 Oct 09 and ended Tue 20 Oct 09.  Attending from Council were Mayor Ballengee; members Barber, Carter, Stipes, Vanhoozier, and Wade.  Overall conference turnout was down slightly from previous years, likely due to economy.  Excellent relationship building, interaction with other jurisdictional leaders, roundtable discussions, and advice from experts on a wide variety of pertinent topics.  Complete program here. 

The following are a few highlights:

Sunday 18 Oct 09:  Exhibit Hall & Opening Reception - Compared notes with neighboring jurisdictions (B'burg, Radford, Pulaski, Roanoke, etc.), as well as vendors and subject matter experts of all sorts.  Noteworthy contacts were MuniCode, Virginia Economic Development Partnership, Waste Industries, and VML-VACo Financing.

Monday 19 Oct 09: Town Track - Ingredients of a Successful Community - Neal J. Barber; C. M. Mitchell (Mayor, City of Galax);  Woody Crenshaw (Community Leader - Town of Floyd).  The following references were encouraged:  www.boomtowninstitute.com and the book Smart Communities by Suzanne W. Morse.  Successful communities do the following:

1.  Think and Act Strategically - Have a vision for the future; have a plan to achieve the vision; build on community strengths; practice democracy; encourage participation in decision making; have a realistic appraisal of future opportunities; are aware of competitive position.

2.  Continually Develop Leaders - Recruit women and minorities into leadership roles; transition power to younger generation.

3.  Use Resources Wisely - Invest right the first time; seekoutside help; invest in the future; leverage resources.

4.  Organize for Action - Work together; have a cooperative community spirit; have a positive "Can-Do" attitude; believe, ultimately, that we make the difference; have active economic development program; use information resources in sophisticated ways.

5.  Emphasize Quality in All Aspects of Business & Community Life - Have sound and well-maintained infrastructure; are willing to invest in quality; build a community "brand".

6.  Have a Strong Sense of Place - Shaped by the physical, cultural, and historical environment.

Excellent case studies were provided by Mayor C. M. Mitchell (Mayor of Galax - slogan: Best "Pick" in Virginia!) and Woody Crenshaw (Crenshaw Lighting) of Floyd - about focusing on some of the above tenets to "Invest in a Creative Economy".  Of special note in these talks were Cross Roads Institute and Chestnut Creek School of the Arts in Galax and the several new projects and venues that Floyd has cultivated that defines its future as a destination/domicile as well.  Galax has come a long way with cultivating its identity for niche industry (114 new ones through Cross Roads Institute since it opened), mountain crafts and music, recreation (New River Trail), and overall mountain heritage.  Having been to Galax several times in the last year (including the Moose Lodge Old Time Fiddler's Convention in August and a Bluegrass peformance/live radio broadcast in the Old Rex Theatre in Spring 2009), the charm and allure of the town are firmly in place and they are successfully reinventing their community.  As Mayor Mitchell indicated, their success has come largely through regional cooperation and support from Grayson and Carroll Counties (Galax straddles the two counties, much like Radford does between Montgomery and Pulaski).  The Crooked Road and Round the Mountain initiatives were also discussed in relation to Galax.  Common themes and clear commitment to success by these folks.  

On Floyd, paraphrasing Crenshaw, "We finally decided about ten years ago that having no four lane roads, airport, gas transmission line, etc. maybe wasn't such a bad thing afterall, and that if we focus on making Floyd the kind of community that we'd like to visit and live in, that other people might like to as well."  And I think anyone who's been to Floyd lately can see the makeover.  One neat enhancement (streetscape) project they did was building the small artisan nooks along the sidewalk just outside the famous Floyd Country Store.  Doing this encouraged local musicians to jam on Saturday nights and has resulted in lots more interest in being in the downtown area on weekend evenings.  Also good stuff for us to ponder and put to use.   

Future of Transportation in Virginia -  Dire, and worsening daily, as far as funding goes.  In addition to localities no longer receiving state $$ for new projects (Urban Program - think the completion of Route 114), a time is soon coming when maintenance demands will also outpace available funds.  Need new and significant dedicated revenue for infrastructure maintenance and enhancement.  Following reports from key VDOT personnel, VML Staff contrasted gubernatorial candidates Deeds and McDonnell and their positions on a transportation agenda. 

Tue 20 Oct 09 -

Gubernatorial Candidate Deeds cancelled planned appearance.

Roundtable Discussions on Creating Arts and Cultural Districts (Harrisonburg has an excellent model for Christiansburg; could integrate Antiques into District);  Infrastructure Financing Amidst a Recession - focused on Community Development Authorities; Streetscape Appearance Green Enhancement - attended this session with Councilman Vanhoozier and will consider several of the ideas discussed, especially the public-private partnership for sprucing up our gateways and roadway corridors.

Evening Banquet & Program - Induction of Town Manager Lance Terpenny as VML President for 2010.  This was a very special occasion for Lance, his family, and the entire Town.  The event was well-attended by department heads and key staff, etc. which added to the moment.  Congratulations to Lance for a long-time dream fulfilled, and to the town for the honor and esteem that his appointment brings with it.

Feel free to ask about anything else that went on; I missed Tuesday morning's session due to a scheduled meeting with Mr. Dana Martin, our Commonwealth Transportation Board member, on the upcoming 2010 Transportation Enhancement Application for the Huckleberry Trail (Due 01 Dec 09).  Even in tight times, the Huck remains very attractive and "fundable" for the next cycle - which is good news.