MORGANTOWN, W.Va. Morgantown City Council will consider a new proposal to limit camping or the use of camping equipment within the city at a future date.
Proposed Article 1157 states,” It is the purpose of this article to prevent harm to the health and safety of the public and to promote
the public health, safety, and general welfare by keeping public streets, sidewalks, parks, and other public property within the city readily accessible to the public, and to prevent use of public property for camping purposes or storage of personal property where those uses interfere with the rights of others to use the areas for the purposes for which they were intended or create health and safety concerns.”
The earliest the proposal could be debated would be Aug. 20, but that’s unlikely due to an unscheduled workshop proposed by Mayor Joe Abu-Ghannam to address the divisive issue prior to being placed on an agenda.
“I feel like the encampments impose a safety risk, and they’re coming with a litany of issues,” Third Ward Councilor Louise Michael said. “From the physical safety of the people living in the encampments to the spread of disease, I think there has to be a better option.”
The closure of the Bartlett Housing Solutions emergency triage shelter has worsened the issue, and advocates point to the ban and enforcement as a way to “arrest the problem away.” But the City and Monongalia County Commissions continue negotiations with Catholic Charities West Virginia that include financial commitments to add them to the suite of service providers at Hazel’s House of Hope.
“They have 20 other shelters in the area, 125 employees, and three social workers on staff, and I think they’re going to do really well in Monongalia County,” Michael said.
Michael began her four-year term in July of 2023 and said on MetroNews “Talkline,” her constituents have consistently brought the problems to her attention with pictures and, in some cases, receipts and proof of damage repairs. Business owners and residents have called for action because the downtown area has become increasingly unsafe.
“Some of the business owners talk about vandalism, property damage, and theft,” Michael said. “It’s not just the business owners; the residents are contacting me as well.”
Some of those same concerns were expressed in a recent survey done by the WVU Police Department of more than 1,000 members of the campus community, including parents, students, faculty, and staff. More than half of those in that survey said they felt unsafe in downtown Morgantown.
“The high number of drug paraphernalia being left behind on the street, down on the parks, the trails, and the riverbanks,” Michael said.
Encampments are not known for the type of structure needed by someone serious about recovery. Michael wants more public awareness about available services, and she wants advocates to work in partnership to help people off the streets.
“So far, I think I’ve put together a list of about 30 organizations that deal with referral centers for drug treatment, mental health, and detox,” Michael said.