MORGANTOWN — If you’re a Morgantown resident or organization with a project in mind, but more motivation than means to make it happen, the city wants to lend you a hand … or a chainsaw.
Community Development Services Coordinator Caitlyn Lewis recently walked Morgantown City Council through the details of a forthcoming tool lending program created using $50,000 from the city’s American Rescue Plan Act allocation.
That investment has allowed the city to outfit two trailers – one 8×16 that serves as the main inventory storage and a 6×10 that can be delivered to project sites – as well as an initial inventory of some 500 tools, including lawn care equipment, power tools, hand tools and gardening supplies.
MOTO, or Morgantown Tool Outreach, will allow any city resident 18 or older to create an online account through myturn.com and reserve a varying number of tools for free based on membership level.
Membership types include:
– Everyday: A borrowing limit up to $250 in assigned tool value per checkout.
– Project: Full access to the entire inventory. Requires a credit card on file.
– Local organization: Full access to the entire inventory, plus access to the mobile trailer. Requires a credit card on file.
While the library is free to access for members, cards placed on file will be used to cover late fees ($1 per day, per tool or full replacement cost after 30 days) as well as damages or cleaning fees if tools are returned in poor condition. There will be a $15 fee to cover fuel and incidentals if delivery of the mobile trailer is requested.
No card is required for an Everyday membership. Late fees or damages charged to someone at that membership level will be billed to their Morgantown address.
Every person signing up for the program must be able to show proof of a Morgantown address and sign a liability waiver prior to borrowing tools. Safety equipment is also available and comes with certain tools – that chainsaw, for example.
The standard loan period will be seven days with an option to request a seven-day renewal. After that, a waiting period would be enforced before the same person could borrow the same item.
Lewis explained the program is intended to lower the financial hurdles that come with the projects intended to improve homes, properties and neighborhoods within the city.
“We wanted to put this forward as a program that could potentially empower local organizations to have some of the resources to foster the change that they want – to conduct community cleanup events and neighborhood improvement projects – and also equip residents with the tools that they need to help with property maintenance.”
Once the program goes live, residents can register in person at the city’s Development Services office, located on the first floor of Morgantown City Hall, or online utilizing the forthcoming MOTO Toolbox website.
From there, browsing inventory and checking items in and out will be handled online through the myturn platform.
The city anticipates launching the program this fall – potentially later this month, according to Lewis.
