Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, July 17, 1990 TAG: 9007170297
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER MUNICIPAL WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Harvey, who returned to council July 1 after a two-year absence, had called for a resumption of the neighborhood meetings during his campaign.
Harvey, who originally proposed the sessions when they were started nearly a decade ago, said council has lost touch with residents in the past two years.
"During the past two years, I have seen our council gradually move away from the trust and mutual understanding we developed with our citizens during the '80s," he said.
At a recent meeting Harvey asked council to resume the neighborhood sessions, but Councilwoman Elizabeth Bowles said she thinks the meetings are too sparsely attended to justify their cost. She said she hasn't heard city residents clamoring for them.
Bowles wants council to get residents' views before it resumes the sessions, which were started in the early 1980s but discontinued two years year ago when Harvey left.
Bowles said some neighborhood groups used to complain to her that they had to recruit people to attend the meetings because they didn't want their neighborhood to "look bad because nobody showed up for council."
But Harvey said he has gotten a different impression when he has talked with city residents.
Council has asked City Manager Robert Herbert for a report on possible dates and locations for meetings. Bowles also asked the city manager to provide information on the costs.
Under the format that was used when the neighborhood meetings were held, council met once in each quadrant of the city during the fall and winter. The night meetings replaced the regular sessions at the Municipal Building.
by CNB