MORGANTOWN — Morgantown City Council is asking West Virginia Sens. Joe Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito to support President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better initiative.
During council’s most recent session, the body voted unanimously in support of a resolution brought by Councilor Ixya Vega calling on lawmakers to pass the $2.2 trillion spending plan.
The resolution included a list of about 30 organizations, including Women’s March West Virginia, Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Action and Race Matters West Virginia, asking council to lend its support.
The Build Back Better plan includes hundreds of billions earmarked to address climate change and social programs, including universal Pre-K, and an expansion of the child tax credit.
As the legislation needed the support all 50 Democratic senators, Manchin has essentially stopped the bill and was quoted late last week calling the bill as presented “dead.”
In other city news, council passed on first reading an ordinance that will repeal and replace Article 906 of city code, pertaining to outdoor dining.
If adopted, the change would create three levels of outdoor dining permits — sidewalk dining, street dining and outdoor dining — in line with changes adopted by the West Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control Administration.
The new language will provide additional standards for acceptable furniture and enclosures used in outdoor dining areas and streamline the permitting process through the city’s development services office.
Council also gave its approval for the purchase of 1,000 permanent stadium-style seats to replace bench-style seating in the Ruby Amphitheater.
The seats cost $216,207.68 and will be covered by grant dollars provided by the Hazel Ruby McQuain Charitable Trust.
This is in addition to $36,927 approved in July to place permanent seating under the newly constructed portion of amphitheater roof.
The seats will be provided by Irwin Seat Co. and bought using the city’s collective purchasing agreement.
In other news, council:
- Approved on first reading a lease agreement with Hertz for the Morgantown Municipal Airport. According to the terms of the five-year agreement, Hertz will pay the city 10% of its gross revenues, as well as $60 monthly for the use of six parking spaces.
- Provided its support for an application to the West Virginia Department of Highways seeking permission for artist Rafael Bianco to paint a mural on a pier of the Westover Bridge, visible from the city’s riverfront area.
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