ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, July 16, 1996 TAG: 9607160076
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JEFF STURGEON STAFF WRITER
THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE president says members were discouraged from direct council contact.
The chairman of the Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce chose the second meeting of a newly reconstituted Roanoke City Council Monday to speak up for chamber members who feel ostracized by the climate at City Hall.
"Many of our small-business members have been led to believe it is not appropriate for them to reach out directly to you with issues that concern them," Robert W. Glenn Jr. said. "Some have been told that contacting City Council members is not the way business is conducted in Roanoke."
In a speech packed with overtures about business and government teamwork, Glenn told council members he in no way suspects them of turning a cold shoulder to business. The problem, he said, lies elsewhere.
In an interview after he spoke, Glenn said some chamber members reported that City Manager Bob Herbert discouraged them from contacting council members directly about issues of business concerns. As a remedy, chamber leaders intend to work "behind the scenes" to improve access for members, chamber President John Stroud said.
Five of the seven council members are newly elected.
Herbert, city manager for 10 years, did not return phone calls after the council session adjourned.
This is not the first time the issue of Herbert's role in relation to council has come up for discussion. Former councilman Mac McCadden, in announcing in March that he would step down from office, said council delegated too much control to Herbert. Herbert said at the time that he disagreed with McCadden's contention.
After Glenn spoke, Councilman Jack Parrot acknowledged hearing relatively few comments from business people during his tenure, compared with what he hears from the citizenry at large.
Looking toward the council chamber gallery, which held many chamber members, he said: "I'd like to see this many [business] people ... here on every issue you think affects you."
Glenn said the chamber admits to being less involved than it should be in local government issues and has a plan to change that. Each Roanoke Valley government unit will receive a list of issues that the 1,700-member business organization considers important, he said.
Glenn said recent concerns about access to elected leaders surfaced in informal meetings between chamber leaders and about 1,000 chamber members over many months. What also emerged, he said, was a feeling of support for council and a great willingness on the part of business people to lend a hand on such tasks as streamlining government.
The chamber wants to offer "free consulting, if you will," Glenn said.
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