Altavista town council's retreat bill more than $7,000

The same town council agenda that outlines Altavista’s goals, objectives and plans of action for the coming years, includes a $7,700 bill.

That’s how much the 2011 retreat — where those goals were created — cost.

The town spent the majority of that money on a consultant, Tyler St. Clair, who provided four separate days of training — two for town staff and two for council members in October and December.

A small amount went toward lunches for the seven town council members Oct. 27 and 28.

The money, not a surprise to town council, is expected to be pulled from the administrative budget for professional services.

"When you bring somebody in for two days, who really knows what they are doing, it can cost you," said Town Manager Waverly Coggsdale, who, with council’s approval, hired the consultant.

All seven members attended both days.

Campbell County’s most recent retreat cost almost $30, while the City of Lynchburg spent less than $150 on its latest one-day retreat, at the Lynchburg Public Library.

The city’s previous one-day retreat, held out-of-town, cost the city about $300, said Mayor Joan Foster. The city holds two one-day retreats each year to discuss the budget.

Coggsdale said the strategic planning document — complete with the names of those responsible and approximate deadlines —resulting from the retreat will guide Altavista through the next several years.

"The purpose of the retreats are to get council to sit down and focus on some long range issues. It is hard to do that when you meet once a month and you have an agenda to deal with," said Coggsdale. The strategic plan helps the organization function better, he said.

It is one of only two retreats the town has had in the last seven years although council members have requested more frequent retreats, preferably every two years, he said.

"We would not spend this kind of money every year for a retreat. No way," said Coggsdale.

Councilman Mike Mattox said council members were given a price range for the retreat prior to receiving the agenda for Tuesday night’s council meeting so the dollar figure in the agenda was not a surprise.

Mattox said the retreat was necessary and worthwhile because it provided council members adequate time to agree upon and set goals, then create a clear path toward achieving them.

"What we all get is accountability," Mattox said. If the town follows through and puts the plans into motion, he said the town will become better and the retreat “will certainly be worth the amount spent."