MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — It was an uneventful but jammed packed meeting for Morgantown City Council as seven different ordinances were passed on second readings.
The ordinances included ammending the requirements for the Parks and Recreation Board, establishing more ways to govern disposition of real estate, ordinances that intend to increase the authority of the Fire Marshall, cut costs expenditure, and to allow certain projects to continue or in some cases stay put. All were passed unanimously.
One ordinance passed allows for contractors to reach an agreement with council in order for public school projects to be made with use of the Business and Operations tax. Morgantown City Manager Paul Brake says that the ordinance is not meant to fund or cut school programs but to specfically be used for construction improvements involving “brick and mortar” type companies.
“It’s for uses at the property,” Brake said. “So it’s for physical improvements. So it wouldn’t subsidize the curriculum or anything like that.”
Another ordinance that impacted an expansion of projects was also passed, but this effected agricultural and industrial properties that are nonconforming to other zones. The ordinances allows for limitations of expansion to be made on any properties that may affect the well being of neighboring zones.
“Here’s what the bottom lying issue is: to anyone to be concerned about is having an expansion of the non-conforming uses that could potentially creep into residential areas,” he said.
Brake said there were no places in particular that caused concern, but said that ordinance was a staff recommendation.
A cost cutting ordinance was also passed in regards to alerting communities regarding a change in dwelling unit density.
“We are no longer required to send certified letters to each and every property — only in those instances where you’re talking about changes to density,” he said.
Other alternative means such as radio or newspaper ads and the use of social media is expected to save the city $50,000 in costs.
The Fire Marshall’s authority was also expanded with an ordinance that allows for authority to make arrests, which expands on the orginial ordinance allowing the Fire Marshall to make arrests for certain misdemeanors.
“This is elevating to a much more egregious criminal activity that includes arson, and explosives and alike,” Brake said.
The ordinance also allows to the Fire Marshall to give testimony during court cases and to make proper arrests reports, allowing to avoid duplicate reports that would normally be handled by Morgantown Police. According to Brake, this gives the Morgantown PD better ability to work on other city issues.
City Council will meet again for it’s final Comittee of the Whole of 2017 on December 26th.