MORGANTOWN — Jenny Selin admits she may be a bit stubborn.
A Morgantown City Council mainstay representing the city’s 4th Ward, Selin is closing out her 14th year as a member of council and is unopposed in April’s municipal election.
She credits that stubbornness, along with an equal measure of optimism, for her desire to return to council for an eighth term.
“I’m the type of person that looks forward. So I always see the potential of what else can be done,” she said. “What happens to me is I see these things, like the runway extension and business park. That project has been going on since 2007. We’ve been talking about it and working on it all that time – back to Dan Boroff. Some of these projects take a long time to come to fruition, and I’m stubborn. I want to see some of them completed, or at least as far along as they can be before I’m done.”
Selin has served two years as the city’s mayor during her time on council.
She said watching the way the city’s neighborhoods evolve is something she’s come to appreciate.
“Where I live, which is behind Krepps Park, didn’t really have many young children in it, but the last few years there are children all over … We were a community of older people, which was great. We’d talk about concerts and events at the park. Now we’re thinking about how to make sure our kids get that playground installed at Krepps Park,” she said. “It’s great to see how the neighborhoods cycle as far as who is there and what their needs are.”
Along with Bill Kawecki (2nd) and Dave Harshbarger (6th), Selin is one of three unopposed incumbents on the ballot. All three will serve four-year terms if the city’s voters support a referendum doubling council terms from two to four years and staggering terms so either three or four members are up for election every two years.
She said she’s excited about the renovation of the city’s riverfront and looks forward to programming there as well as a hopeful return to neighborhood picnics and concerts after a year of distancing and online meetings.
She’s also hopeful residents will participate in the city’s comprehensive 10-year plan, which will be coming together this year.
Lastly, Selin said, she’s appreciative of the potential in Morgantown and the opportunity to represent the 4th Ward and the city — supporters, critics and all.
“I have a certain point of view and I tend to follow that. Sometimes I have people who, on one issue, will think I’m very clever and the next issue are upset with me,” she said. “I think it’s just good to keep the needs of the people who live and work here in mind and keep the community moving forward.”
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