MORGANTOWN — A majority of Morgantown City Council balked at a request from the city’s administration on Tuesday when asked to approve a $300,000 to $400,000 change order to build a two-story bike/kayak rental facility as a part of the ongoing riverfront overhaul.
As the cost would fall outside the scope of the original $4.1 million in grant funding provided by the Hazel Ruby McQuain Charitable Trust for the riverfront project, the funds would be pulled from the city’s capital escrow budget then potentially recouped through a lease agreement with a public or private vendor.
The opposition was not to the facility itself — which all agreed would be a valuable asset at the new Walnut Street Landing set to go under construction in the coming weeks.
The opposition arose around the belief from some members that council was being rushed into voting on a major expense with little advanced notice and even less information.
“If this has been in planning for a long time why are we just hearing about it tonight and being asked to approve instantly a change order for $300,000 to $400,000,” Councilor Ron Dulaney asked, later adding “I’m very uncomfortable with the way this is unfolding and being asked to approve this in this way.”
Councilors Dave Harshbarger, Barry Wendell and Zack Cruze echoed Dulaney’s sentiments.
Assistant City Manager Emily Muzzarelli, sitting in for City Manager Paul Brake, explained that the city has been working with WVU — specifically Adventure West Virginia — about operating the facility, but no commitments had been reached.
According to information provided at the meeting, BOPARC would staff the rental facility if no satisfactory proposals ultimately materialize.
Muzzarelli said the need to get council’s approval now stemmed from the impending overhaul of the Walnut Street Landing. She said additional information, including a preliminary design, could be presented at next week’s committee of the whole meeting.
In other news from Tuesday’s meeting, Jayson Nicewarner, President of the International Association of Firefighters Local 313, asked the city to address the lawsuit filed by the IAFF over firefighter holiday pay compensation.
Nicewarner said the city has been silent on the issue since the suit was filed five months ago.
He also pointed out that the city of Charleston looked into its firefighter holiday pay after learning of the Morgantown lawsuit. He said Charleston City Council was taking action to address it during its meeting on Tuesday.
“Charleston is the biggest city in the state and also has the largest professional fire department in the state, yet they were able to resolve this problem within six months, all because the city of Morgantown has not been able to resolve it here.”
According to the suit, state code dictates compensation for holiday shifts. If a firefighter works on a legal holiday, or if the holiday falls on the firefighter’s day off, the firefighter is entitled to equivalent time off on another day or pay at time-and-a-half.
Nicewarner previously told The Dominion Post firefighters have been compensated with 12 hours of time off per holiday shift, but this is inadequate because they work 24-hour shifts.
Also on Tuesday, the city approved a bid for the removal of five old T-hangars at the Morgantown Municipal Airport, which predate World War II.
A sixth hangar will remain to house salt and equipment.
Council approved the bid of Safeco Environmental, Inc., out of Diliner, Pa. Safeco. The firm will actually pay the city $500 for the scrap metal in the buildings.
The city opened three new T-hangars at the airport in April at a cost of nearly $4 million.
