MORGANTOWN — It’s been some 15 months since Morgantown City Council welcomed the public into its meeting chamber.
It did so on Thursday.
Members the new council — or at least most of them — raised their right hands and swore the city’s oath while two dozen or so friends and family members sat for the brief ceremony conducted by City Clerk Christine Wade and City Manager Kim Haws.
Returning councilors Jenny Selin (4th Ward), Bill Kawecki (2nd) and Dave Harshbarger (6th) and newcomers Danielle Trumble (5th) and Brian Butcher (7th) were on hand for the proceedings.
Ixya Vega (3rd) will be sworn in to start council’s July 6 meeting, which will be held virtually.
The hope, at least for some, is that in-person meeting will resume after that.
“I’m very excited. It’s been a long process leading up to this,” Trumble said, noting her excitement at actually being in council chambers. “I was thrilled to be able to have my family and friends here for the ceremony – my parents, my grandmother, my in-laws, one of my sisters, some family friends were able to come — so I thought it was really nice that we had this in-person and we were able to invite the people we care about.”
Butcher echoed Trumble’s excitement at being in the meeting hall.
“It feels a lot more real than it did before,” he said. “I’m just really excited to get to work and see what we can do, especially with all the stuff we’ll have coming up right away.”
A big part of the “stuff” referenced by Butcher is the filling of the 1st Ward seat.
Patrick Hathaway, who won the seat in April, is unable to serve. Council now has 30 days to either take applications, conduct interviews and appoint a member or fill the seat through special election.
Thursday’s swearing in was also unique in that it was the first time members were sworn in for four-year terms. Voters in April’s municipal election supported a referendum extending council terms and bringing Morgantown in line with the majority of West Virginia’s larger cities.
Selin, Kawecki and Harshbarger will be the first to take on the extended appointments.
Kawecki, beginning his fifth term on the body, said he didn’t give term length any thought as he took the oath.
“No. Not at all. I really do think it’s a good thing,” he said, pointing instead to the potential represented by Thursday’s ceremony. “It’s another beginning. It’s like coming back to school. In a way, you feel like you’re starting over. It’s a fresh start. You look forward to what you might do and what you will enjoy and succeed at.”
Haws, who took over the city’s top job in December, noted it was also his first bit of official business in council chambers as he welcomed councilors and guests to city hall, and offered his thanks.
“I’ve been in public service for a long time and I know what kind of sacrifice families and individuals have to make to provide that service — selflessly provide service. There’s not a lot of pay involved here,” he said. “You have to do it because you love it, and because you love the community.”
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