Council sets public hearing for TIF amendment and moves parcel transfer for Lower Marilla Park to second reading

The Morgantown City Council on Tuesday adopted a resolution to change the public hearing date to May 27 for a proposed amendment to Tax Increment Financing District No. 3 and advanced a separate ordinance to transfer a Building Commission parcel to the city so it can be consolidated into a single parcel used as security for financing the Lower Marilla Park project.

City attorneys said the public-hearing resolution is procedural: state law requires a noticed public hearing before the city may submit an amendment application to the state. The resolution postpones a previously scheduled hearing to ensure adequate public notice after staff received requests from people who had not seen the earlier posting.

City attorneys cited the statutory framework for TIF amendments in Chapter 7, Article 11B, Section 10A of the West Virginia Code and said council would hold the public hearing before any ordinance to amend the TIF boundary or extend the district’s termination date could be submitted for state approval.

Separately, staff described a transfer of property currently owned by the Morgantown Building Commission into city ownership; that parcel will be consolidated with other project parcels for the forthcoming Lower Marilla Park improvements and will serve as security for project financing. The Building Commission was scheduled to consider authorizing the transfer on May 13, staff said; council moved the ordinance to second reading so the commission’s action could occur before final council action.

Council approved the resolution to reschedule the TIF public hearing and advanced the Building Commission parcel transfer on unanimous 7-0 votes.