Morgantown — Monongalia County Commission President Tom Bloom said the word “panhandling” may be going away, but the push to prohibit people from standing in intersections asking for money is not.
The commission is working with legal counsel to draft a law banning such activity.
“We believe we will come up with a compromise that will be more of a solicitation ordinance,” Bloom said Thursday. “I will not be using the word ‘panhandling’ because it’s a solicitation ordinance … We can control solicitation in the roadways, and I believe we have the backing of state law to support that. That’s where we’re at.”
Bloom met with municipal representatives late last month in the hope all government bodies countywide could present a unified front.
“They’re watching us. I’ve received several phone calls,” Bloom said of municipal representatives. “They’re waiting to see the final draft. There is interest in this area.”
He said the commission intends to meet with its attorneys again in the coming days and aims to schedule a public hearing date on the new law in the next two weeks.
Also on Thursday, the commission voted to file a written protest with the West Virginia Public Service Commission regarding proposed rate increases for the Mountaineer Transfer Station, located in the Morgantown Industrial Park.
According to a legal advertisement that appeared in The Dominion Post on May 24, Allied Waste Services of North America (Republic) is seeking a list of rate increases ranging from 30.52% to 241.94% for various customers and services.
The Dominion Post reached out to Republic Services to ask for clarification as to who and what each of the various categories would pertain. The response simply said the increases would apply to customers and businesses who use the transfer station.
The increases are anticipated to generate an additional $1,892,594.71, which represents a 31.38% jump. Rising operation and maintenance costs are listed as the reasoning.
Bloom said he hopes other governmental bodies will also reach out to the PSC, noting budgets for next year have already been finalized.
“At the bare minimum, it would be prudent for any increase that were passed by the PSC to be put into effect at the start of the next fiscal year so departments, not just ours, could adequately budget for that,” Commissioner Jeff Arnett said.
Lastly, resumes for individuals interested in being nominated by the commission as the Region 4 representative to the WV First Foundation will be accepted until 10 a.m. July 5.
The foundation is the mechanism created for the distribution of hundreds of millions of opiate settlement dollars statewide.
Potential nominees should have expertise in one or more of the following: Substance abuse treatment, mental health, law enforcement, pharmacology, finance and healthcare policy and management.
Monongalia County will host a 13-county meeting to select a single Region 4 representative to the 11-member foundation.
That meeting is proposed to take place at 10 a.m. July 13 at the Monongalia County Center, in Mylan Park.
