MORGANTOWN — A long-desired project to spruce up Pleasant Street could begin as early as this fall … maybe.
Morgantown City Council on Tuesday approved a supplemental agreement that will allow the city to accept an additional $300,000 in federal Transportation Alternative Program Grant funds for the Pleasant Street streetscape project.
The project will highlight and improve sidewalks, upgrade lighting, install and improve curb cuts and incorporate colored bricks, pedestrian features and improved green space along the street.
This is actually the second TAP Grant received for the project. The city was previously granted a $480,000 award for the work, which will run from University Avenue to Spruce Street.
Assistant City Manager Emily Muzzarelli explained the city is responsible for a 20% match on TAP grants.
She said the work could potentially start as early as this fall, but as the West Virginia Division of Highways will handle the bidding and contracting for the project, the timeline will ultimately be in the DOH’s hands.
In other news, council approved a policy specifying that all information shared during an executive session is to remain non-public and confidential.
An executive session is a non-public portion of an otherwise public meeting.
“This policy would set city council’s default procedure as treating information discussed in executive session as non-public and confidential and provide a process for city council to determine when and how that information could be disclosed if it wished to do so,” City Attorney Ryan Simonton said.
The issue was brought forward after the West Virginia Ethics Commission’s Open Meetings Committee offered guidance earlier this year indicating information was not confidential simply because it was shared in executive session.
Also on Tuesday, council approved a $45,270 bid from City Neon for a double-sided, digital information kiosk to be placed at Hazel Ruby McQuain Park.
Council also recognized Jan Derry for her leadership as part of the Morgantown Human Rights Commission over the last decade.
