The special court shall, prior to hearing any case under this article for the establishment of a consolidated city, direct the attorneys for the parties to appear before it, or, in its discretion, before a single judge for a conference 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 like matters, which will dispense with formal proof thereof, including:

a. The assessed values and the ratio of assessed values to true values as determined by the State Department of Taxation in the counties, cities and towns proposing to consolidate, including real property, personal property, machinery and tools, merchants' capital and public service corporation assessments for each year of the five years immediately preceding;

b. The school population and school enrollment in the area proposing to consolidate, as shown by the records in the office of the division superintendent of schools; and the cost of education per pupil in average daily membership as shown by the last preceding report of the Superintendent of Public Instruction; and

c. The population and the density of population of the area proposing to consolidate;

4. The method of taking any population census requested by the petitioner;

5. Limitation on the number of expert witnesses, as well as requiring each expert 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 order which will control the subsequent conduct of the case unless modified before or at the trial or hearing to prevent manifest injustice.

1979, c. 85, § 15.1-1130.7; 1997, c. 587; 2010, cc. 386, 629.