By JEFFERSON WEAVER
Staff Writer

Whiteville City Council’s trip to the nation’s capitol was whirlwind, but worthwhile.

Whiteville City Manager Josh Ray, along with council members Robert Leder, Harold Troy, Jimmy Clarida, Tim Blackmon, and Terry Mann attended the Congressional City Conference earlier this month. The three-day event left the delegates with sore feet, but Ray said the trip was a valuable experience.

“The contacts and information we gathered was more than worth it,” he said.

The conference was held March 10-13. The annual Congressional City Conference gives local elected officials the chance to visit with congressional leaders and attend seminars on issues facing towns and cities across the country.

One of the most informative sessions involved the growth of gangs, Ray said.

“It was a packed house,” he said. “I mean packed – it was standing room only, and people were stacked up by the doors.”

The seminar offered more information than solutions, he said.

The main speaker was a nationally known expert on community policing, a trend Ray said seems to be returning in some municipalities.

The local board members also attended a forum on Community Development Block Grants (CDBGs), federal funds that have become vital to many infrastructure projects in municipalities.

Ray said those attending were “relieved” to hear assurances from Sens. Hillary Clinton, Christopher Dodd, Norm Coleman and Joseph Biden that CDBGs will still be offered by the federal government.

Whiteville is currently ending a five-year, $350,000 per year CDBG, and is applying for an additional $250,000 for another project.

Ray said the speakers expressed support for CDBG programs, especially those aimed at reclaiming blighted neighborhoods.

The city paid $900 per person for the council members and Ray to attend the conference, plus $350 each for airfare.

Councilman Jimmy Clarida drove to Washington for the event.

The board members will also receive an average of $300 reimbursement for meals and other expenses.

The members’ wives also attended the conference, but paid their own way, Ray said.

The women also attended seminars and classes on everything from health care reform to public safety.

Some of the seminars conflicted with other events, and Ray said the board members’ wives “worked just as hard” to make contacts and gather information about issues and solutions.

Ray said the event was “exciting.”

“We got a lot out of it,” he said, “and brought home a lot of new ideas and perspectives.”

The council will meet in regular session Tuesday, March 27, at 7 p.m.

The usual mid-month meeting was cancelled due to the trip.