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Morgantown Council votes 4-3 in favor of first responder training center

MORGANTOWN — A little over midway through an hour-long discussion on whether the city should acquire the former Defense in Depth gun range for use as a first responder training center, it became clear that 1st Ward Councilor Joe Abu-Ghannam was going to cast the deciding vote.

He was the last to offer comment before council split 4-3 in favor of an arrangement with Glenmark Holding LLC that will see the city pay $500,000 up front and $2.4 million in lease payments over the next 10 years ($20,000 monthly) for the 19,938-square-foot facility that closed as a private business last month.

“I’m not a police officer. I don’t have your job. I don’t know what’s involved in the training. But if you seem to think this is something that will benefit our department, I can only trust your opinion,” he said, initially directing his remarks to Police Chief Eric Powell. “I know it’s a high cost up front, but I’d like to support those that are in the know as opposed to standing on the outside looking in.”

Deputy Mayor Danielle Trumble, who cast the only vote against the acquisition when the matter came up for first reading on Oct. 18, was joined by councilors Ixya Vega and Brian Butcher this time around.

The vote comes about three months after the city’s police officers issued a vote of “no confidence” in city leadership. As of Tuesday’s meeting, 17 of the MPD’s 76 authorized officer positions remain unfilled.

Powell has repeatedly said this facility will be unlike anything operated by any department in the region and can only help the city’s recruitment and retention efforts.

At what cost?

Morgantown City Manager Kim Haws explained that based on the city’s calculations, all-in annual cost to operate the facility will be between $127,000 and $156,000 out of the city’s general fund depending on how much revenue can be generated through contractual agreements with other agencies for use of the facility.

Trumble said she would prefer those funds be used to raise officer salaries instead. She also said she’s received overwhelmingly negative feedback from the community about the deal.

“I’m just going to address the elephant in the room, right. We’re in a really tough position because we are all looking to show that we are supportive of our law enforcement officers. They do a great job. We’re proud of them and proud to have them,” Trumble said. “This is an extraordinary cost in my mind.”

Powell reiterated his belief that the state-of-the-art range is something that would likely never be available to the city again and said the cost to build such a facility would likely start at $20 million.

“It takes a leap of faith a little bit. It takes, maybe, a little bit of faith in me and my abilities and my department’s abilities to make it work,” Powell said. “But I can assure you that all our efforts will be to ensure this place works the way it was meant to work and intended to work. Our officers understand the importance of it.”

Council’s debate wasn’t the only drama regarding the training center topic on Tuesday.

During the public hearing on the issue, city resident James Giuliani repeatedly brushed off requests from Mayor Jenny Selin to conclude his remarks.

Giuliani, who has said he intends to seek council’s 1st Ward seat in April, spoke for nearly 24 minutes, ultimately resulting in Selin standing, banging the gavel and shouting Giuliani down as a court security officer asked him to be seated.