MORGANTOWN — Citing attorney-client privilege, a joint meeting of Morgantown City Council and the Morgantown Utility Board was held behind closed doors Monday evening at the Morgantown Public Safety Building.
The meeting was in open session for about two and a half minutes; long enough for both bodies to declare their respective meetings open, take roll call and vote to enter executive session with the understanding both would adjourn immediately after.
Delegate Evan Hansen was seated at the meeting table, presumably to act as a third-party facilitator, though he was never introduced.
The purpose of the meeting was discussion between the two sides surrounding an amendment to Article 169 of city code pertaining to the utility board, which the city brought forward with the stated goal of improving “coordination, communication, and accountability” in the wake of some recent rifts between the two.
MUB has come out in opposition to the changes, which, as originally presented, would reserve one of five utility board seats for a council member and make the city manager a sixth, non-voting member.
The ordinance would also create a requirement for city council to approve MUB construction projects over $1 million or deemed by council to be “outside the ordinary course of business.”
This provision has been a point of contention due to the large percentage of MUB customers located outside the city as well as the fact that all development taking place in the county is reliant on MUB.
The ordinance was tabled on a 4-3 vote during council’s Oct. 4 council meeting and will be back before the body during tonight’s regular meeting.
