On Saturday, community members took part in an open meeting at the First Presbyterian Church on Spruce Street to discuss the next steps they could take in regard to the drug house ordinance in Morgantown.
Organizer with Our Future West Virginia Liira Raines hosted the meeting as a way for people to determine the next steps that could be taken in convergence with the Greenmont Neighborhood Association.
The ordinance is to put responsibility onto the property owners for what occurs on the property.
“One of the main components of it that worries me is that they don’t require any evidence of wrongdoing and they don’t require any criminal convictions,” Raines said.
Raines said the goal of the Saturday meeting was to educate people about the ordinances so that further action can be made.
“I’m moving now toward working on taking a close look at these ordinances and then on looking at seeing what kind of more progressive and helpful solutions we can come up with for Morgantown … alternative things that help everybody,” Raines said.
Raines had several questions about the topic, including ‘What problems are these ordinances trying to fix?’ A lot of the discussion from those in attendance mentioned poor maintenance, neglected or abandoned properties and lack of enforcement within the areas.
The ACLU immediately sent a letter to city council about the issue and Community Outreach Coordinator Mollie Kennedy said they want to work toward a solution that enforces the laws and betters the community, not one that unfairly criminalizes people.
As previously reported, the organization stated such laws disproportionately affect women, domestic violence survivors and communities of color.
Raines had been talking to David Harshbarger, who represents the 6th Ward on Morgantown City Council, and was interested to see it changed to avoid unintended consequences.
The ordinance will be one of the topics discussed at the city council meeting on Feb. 25, according to Raines, to take further action in discussing the drug house ordinances.
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