Council approves a slate of first-reading ordinances, permits and local exemptions

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The Morgantown City Council on Feb. 4 approved, on first reading or by formal motion, a set of ordinances and administrative actions that advance development and regulatory items across the city.

The items approved included a first reading of an ordinance authorizing memoranda of understanding for relocation of an access road related to West Virginia University (WVU) Hospitals’ Eye Institute project; a charter amendment to replace gendered pronouns; a zoning map amendment in the Sixth Ward; a commercial lease and operating agreement for a hangar at Morgantown Municipal Airport; a sole-source purchase of robotic mowing equipment for the airport; an exemption from vacant-structure registration for 528 Monongalia Avenue; and an update to the city’s industrial waste (pretreatment) limits to reflect new DEP permit requirements for the Star City Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Why it matters: Several of the items clear administrative and permitting hurdles tied to development (WVU Hospitals project, zoning) or city operations (airport facilities, mowing, wastewater pretreatment). The items now proceed to required next steps such as second readings, public hearings or contract completions.

What the council voted on (roll-call tallies recorded at the meeting):

- Ordinance (first reading) authorizing MOU among the Morgantown Building Commission, the City and WVU Hospitals (relocate access road related to new WVU Eye Institute and related garage and pedestrian bridge): passed on first reading, roll call 7–0. (Transcript reference: staff presentation beginning at 2234.97.)

- Ordinance (first reading) amending the City Charter to use gender‑neutral pronouns: passed on first reading, roll call 7–0. The ordinance will receive a second reading and public hearing at the council’s first March meeting (30‑day notice published). (Transcript reference: presentation beginning at 2345.63.)

- Zoning map amendment (11 Hartman, Sixth Ward; remove split zoning and reclassify the parcel to B‑2 Service Business District): first reading approved, roll call 7–0. Planning staff reported the Planning Commission recommended approval and that the application cleans up a split‑zoning condition. (Transcript reference: staff report beginning at 2473.45.)

- Ordinance authorizing a commercial lease and operating agreement with Chapter 11 International for a new hangar at Morgantown Municipal Airport (40‑year land lease; building to revert to city or be removed at lease end): first reading approved, roll call 7–0. Staff said the hangar would be adjacent to Taxiway Charlie, exceed the size of the Milan hangar by roughly 5,000 sq ft, and house several jet aircraft; the lease will include CPI adjustments, maintenance obligations and end‑of‑lease options. (Transcript reference: presentation beginning at 2625.695.)

- Sole‑source purchase (software subscription and robotic mowing units, described in the meeting as “goats”) for airport grounds maintenance (subscription model, ~12 units with capacity for many pens, vendor out of Nashville): approved, roll call 6–1 (Councilor Danielle Trumbull recorded a No vote). Staff said the purchase is a sole‑source award because the vendor supplies software that coordinates multiple manufacturers’ units; airport staff estimated a roughly $120,000 capital-equivalent cost and annual operating savings of about $32,000, with an estimated return on investment of about 1.5 years. (Transcript reference: discussion beginning at 2972.405.)

- Order granting exemption from vacant structure registration at 528 Monongalia Avenue: approved, roll call recorded as 5 yes, 0 no, 2 abstain (two members abstained because they had not been at the hearing). (Transcript reference: item beginning at 4056.03.)

- Ordinance (first reading) amending Article 9‑23, Industrial Waste (pretreatment): first reading approved, roll call 7–0. Staff reported a change required by the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) in the Star City Wastewater Treatment Plant permit lowered the daily arsenic limit for industrial pretreatment users from 0.28 to 0.20 pounds per day; staff said existing users already measure well below the new limit and no permit adjustments for users are required. (Transcript reference: presentation beginning at 4184.6953.)

Next steps and process notes: Several of the ordinances were advanced on first reading; where required, the charter amendment has a scheduled second reading/public hearing in March and the building commission/WVU transaction will proceed to closing and document recording after final readings and recordings by the involved parties.

Votes at the meeting were recorded by roll call; motion text at the dais was typically “Move to approve” and seconds were recorded; where a named mover/second was not specified in the public transcript, the motion is recorded here as “not specified.”

Sources: Morgantown City Council meeting transcript, Feb. 4, 2025.