MORGANTOWN — Morgantown City Council’s meeting chamber was full Tuesday evening, primarily of people on hand to support a pair of council proclamations recognizing June as LGBTQ+ Pride Month and the June 19 celebration of Juneteenth.
Both drew loud applause from the capacity crowd.
“While the work to ensure the rights and protections of our marginalized communities will never be over, this does serve as a reminder that the queer community here is loved and cherished,” Morgantown Human Rights Commission Chair Ash Orr said in response to the Pride Month proclamation.
Delegate Danielle Walker, D-Monongalia, was on hand to accept the Juneteenth commemoration.
Juneteenth recognizes the date, June 19, 1865 — two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation — when hundreds of thousands of slaves finally learned of their freedom.
“When we speak about Black history, it just doesn’t lie in the United States of America, but this is part of American history. What you are witnessing tonight is part of Morgantown’s history, and I am proud to be a Morgantown resident,” Walker said.
In further business, City Manager Kim Haws said the city has had to temper its expectations regarding facilities upgrades in light of exploding construction costs.
In an arrangement between the city and the Morgantown Building Commission, council approved the issuance of up to $7 million in construction bonds earlier this year for improvements to aging facilities, including city hall, the public safety building, the public works garage and the Norwood fire station.
“We’re really struggling to be able to bring costs within budget because of the cost of construction and materials, so we’re having to value engineer some things out and try to be creative,” Haws said. “But I wanted council to be aware it’s a really big problem … We’re doing the best we can, and sometimes it’s going to go a little slower than we’d like, but our plan is to complete the projects as outlined.”
The largest of the projects, an estimated $2.9 million overhaul of city hall, is expected to begin in August.
The city’s construction bonds were placed with Community Bank, which offered a fixed 2.61% interest rate over a 15-year repayment term.
Also on Tuesday, council approved an application to the WV Department of Environmental Protection to place property in and around White Park in the DEP’s Voluntary Remediation Program.
The 170-acre park property’s legacy in the oil industry dates back to 1890, when it was part of a nearly 700-acre tank farm holding more than 2 million barrels of oil in 80 tanks.
Based on information made available by the city, the VRP program and recently expanded federal and state grant dollars will provide structure and funding for the city to better direct the park’s future based on desired public uses for the park.
A master trail design for the entire park will begin this summer.
According to the city, no state or federal regulatory agencies have indicated current health hazards within the park.
Lastly, council approved a number of DOT Transportation Alternative Program grant applications.
Those include a $500,000 request to construct a sidewalk from Mileground Road to the Morgantown Municipal Airport terminal; $250,000 to design a pedestrian bridge over Don Knotts Boulevard; $300,000 to cover increased construction costs associated with the Walnut Street streetscape project; and $200,000 to design a reconfiguration of Mineral Avenue and Deckers Creek Boulevard’s intersection with Powell Avenue.
