MORGANTOWN — The Morgantown Land Reuse and Preservation Agency is looking to shake up its composition in an effort to eliminate previous concerns about a lack of engagement and direction from city hall.
The agency is working with city administration to redraft Morgantown City Code Article 147, which establishes the volunteer body, spells out its purpose and defines its membership.
Among the major changes being considered is the addition of the city manager, who would join as a voting member alongside six volunteers appointed by Morgantown City Council.
Further, a representative of Morgantown City Council, the city attorney, a representative from the city’s development services office and, potentially, representatives from the Monongalia County Development Authority and Fairmont Morgantown Housing Authority would be included as ex-officio, or non-voting, members.
The suggested changes would also include term limits holding members to no more than two consecutive two-year terms.
The body considered eliminating an existing requirement that the majority of voting members be city residents.
Members pointed out that it’s already difficult to fill the board with the kind of expertise desired – real estate, development, public lands, land conservation, etc. – without limiting the potential pool of candidates that are qualified, interested and willing to volunteer their time.
The discussion ended up coming down to whether it’s appropriate to potentially have a non-resident majority voting on items that could impact city neighborhoods and the expenditure of city dollars.
The agency currently has three city residents, three members who live outside the city, and one vacancy.
“I think that if the city is expending money and that sort of thing, I think council and the manager are leaving themselves open,” non-resident member David Satterfield said. “If we ever had a 4-3 vote, and the majority of those people who voted are not residents of the city, that could be politically hard for council.”
LRPA Chair Jessica McDonald seemed receptive to both arguments, but ultimately noted, “I do think it’s generally better policy to have people living where they’re making the boards.”
If ultimately approved by city council, the reconfiguration would be a significant shakeup for the agency created in 2019.
While the LRPA’s activity has picked up considerably over the last 15 months or so – thanks largely to American Rescue Plan Act dollars and the city’s desire to revitalize lower Greenmont – members have lamented that the agency often feels rudderless, with no real direction or input from city leadership.
The feeling was reinforced in April, when the agency heard from Charleston Planner John Butterworth, who explained that city’s mayor, city manager and two city council members participate as voting members alongside volunteers and a slate of ex-officio members from within city administration.
Without that direct participation, LRPA member Laura Rye said, Morgantown’s board struggles to maintain any momentum.
“We lose a lot through ‘Let’s check with so-and-so and come back next month. We lose a lot that way,” Rye said. “It’s time just lost.”
While communication has improved to some degree with new City Manager Jamie Miller, who arrived in June and started attending LRPA meetings, the hope is these additions will further link the city’s ambitions and resources with the agency’s actions.
“We’ve tried to have these discussions and evaluate ways forward that we can make the committee as productive as possible,” Miller said.
