MORGANTOWN — In a unanimous vote Tuesday evening the Monongalia County Planning Commission approved the hiring of Andrew Gast-Bray as the county’s new planning director.
Planning Commission President Matthew Ridgway announced the hiring at Wednesday’s Monongalia County Commission meeting.
Gast-Bray, who steps into the new role on Monday, will earn $95,000 annually to fill the position following the retirement of current Planning Director Richard Wood, who plans to step away in early May after nine years with the county.
Gast-Bray comes to Monongalia County from Albemarle County, Va., where he served as director of planning and assistant director of community development.
Commissioner Ed Hawkins is on the planning commission and was a part of the hiring committee. He said he’s excited to see what Gast-Bray can bring to the county.
“Having been part of the interviewing committee, it was evident that this individual possesses the skills that we need,” Hawkins said. “Also I think we’re recruiting not just a skillful planner, but a wonderful addition to our community of Morgantown and Monongalia County.”
In other county news, the commission plans to invite county commissioners from a number of surrounding counties to begin discussing the creation of the Mountaineer Trail Network — made possible by passage of Senate Bill 317, which was recently signed into law by Governor Jim Justice.
The law allows three or more counties to come together to create a trail network for non-motorized use. More specifically, it creates the Mountaineer Trail Network Recreation Authority serving Barbour, Grant, Harrison, Marion, Mineral, Monongalia, Preston, Randolph, Taylor and Tucker counties.
FEOH Realty Founder Jason Donahue has been among the local voices pushing for the creation of a mountain biking trail network. Those efforts began in 2017 and led to a more locally-focused trail bill, which narrowly missed passage in the legislature last year.
Donahue asked the commission to invite their counterparts from the region to a meeting — tentatively set for April 30 — to see which counties would actually be interested in participating.
Once the interested parties are identified, a governing trail authority can be formed and the real work can get under way.
“Once they agree and more than three come together, you can actually, by statute, create the authority,” Donahue said, noting his aim would be to have an authority in place and a plan sorted prior to next year’s budget season.
“I think it’s a wonderful opportunity. I think it’s great it passed in two sessions, but at the end of the day, it’s up to us now to make it work,” he said.
In other news, the commission:
— Heard from Greg Rollins, representing Carpenters Local 436, about a growing issue surrounding labor brokers, which, he said, results in laborers being paid in cash by contractors, avoiding taxes.
“It’s a big problem for the local contractors who follow the rules. They can’t compete with this,” Rollins said. “Everybody loses out.”
— Heard proclamations declaring April 2019 Sexual Assault Awareness Month; and April 27, 2019 Monongalia County Women on Wellness Day.
— Will sponsor up to 20 flags as part of the Cheat Lake Rotary’s Flags for Heroes Program. The sponsorships are for county employees who wish to nominate someone and will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.
Contact County Administrator Rennetta McClure in the commission office to inquire.
