15.2-3525 - Pretrial conference; matters considered.
§ 15.2-3525. Pretrial conference; matters considered.
The special court shall, prior to hearing any case under this article for theestablishment of a consolidated city, direct the attorneys for the parties toappear before it, or, in its discretion, before a single judge for aconference to consider:
1. Simplification of the issues;
2. Amendment of pleadings and filing of additional pleadings;
3. Stipulations as to facts, documents, records, photographs, plans and likematters, which will dispense with formal proof thereof, including:
a. The assessed values and the ratio of assessed values to true values asdetermined by the State Department of Taxation in the counties, cities andtowns proposing to consolidate, including real property, personal property,machinery and tools, merchants' capital and public service corporationassessments for each year of the five years immediately preceding;
b. The school population and school enrollment in the area proposing toconsolidate, as shown by the records in the office of the divisionsuperintendent of schools; and the cost of education per pupil in averagedaily membership as shown by the last preceding report of the Superintendentof Public Instruction; and
c. The population and the density of population of the area proposing toconsolidate;
4. The method of taking any population census requested by the petitioner;
5. Limitation on the number of expert witnesses, as well as requiring eachexpert witness who will testify to file a statement of his qualifications;
6. Such other matters as may aid in the disposition of the case.
The court, or the judge as the case may be, shall make an appropriate orderwhich will control the subsequent conduct of the case unless modified beforeor at the trial or hearing to prevent manifest injustice.
(1979, c. 85, § 15.1-1130.7; 1997, c. 587; 2010, cc. 386, 629.)