Monongalia County Commission approves hires, requisitions and new hiring policy

MONONGALIA COUNTY, W.Va. — The Monongalia County Commission on Feb. 5 approved routine consent items and personnel hires, authorized multiple requisitions from special project funds, adopted updated workplace and hiring-onboarding policies and agreed to hire outside counsel to review a possible property sale.

The actions were approved by voice votes during the regular meeting after county staff presented vouchers, minutes and several personnel items. County Administrator Reneta McClure summarized the consent materials, including vouchers and grant receipts, and introduced new hires.

Why it matters: the approvals authorize immediate payroll and vendor payments, confirm new county employees, and set a stricter onboarding timeline countywide intended to reduce last-minute payroll changes.

The commission approved the consent agenda, which included routine vouchers and minutes and listed fiduciary orders for Feb. 5. Separately the commission approved personnel actions presented by the administrator: the hiring of Jonas Jonathan Shrewsbury as a full-time court security officer (benefit-eligible, salary $3,076.38 per month, effective Feb. 1, advertised position) and a part-time seasonal hire at Chestnut Ridge Park (Adam Howe, tubing hill attendant, $12.50 per hour, start date Feb. 5, non–benefit-eligible).

The commission also approved several fund requisitions connected to local project funds: requisition number 36 from the Series 2021B Harmony Grove Phase 1 project fund (listed payee information included en route properties and Adrian Enterprises; Adrian Enterprises was listed for project management at $30,000), requisition number 18 from the University Town Center Series 2023A property tax district administrative expense fund (listed as a Unicaps monthly invoice for roughly $2,001.33) and requisition number 99 for the University Town Center excise tax district administrative expense fund (Unicaps invoice, $1,573.75). The commission approved each requisition as presented.

The commission agreed to provide a letter of support requested by the City of Morgantown Arts and Cultural Development for a grant application to the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History; staff said the application seeks roughly $20,000. The commission also approved an engagement agreement with Steptoe & Johnson PLLC to provide representation in connection with a proposed sale of property in the Boyers Avenue area previously acquired by the town of Star City with proceeds from the commission’s tax increment revenue bond sale in 2012. The engagement was described as counsel performing legal analysis of options for a possible sale.

On policy, the commission adopted updated county policies addressing a drug- and alcohol-free workplace and equal employment opportunity and anti-discrimination; those policies were separated out from the prior commission handbook and will require employees (current and new) to acknowledge them in ADP once uploaded. The commission also adopted a new policy tightening the process for seeking commission consent for new hires and payroll onboarding. Under the adopted onboarding policy, full-time hires will start only on the first or 16th of a month unless the department provides advance notice; part-time employees may start at any point. Staff will send notice to departments after adoption. The commission characterized the change as intended to reduce last-minute requests that strain payroll operations.

Correspondence presented at the meeting included a distribution from a state opioid settlement fund administered by a First Foundation account (a check and an accompanying letter from John Jenkins, the CPA/administrator for that account, noting a reporting deadline of April 30, 2025) and a notice from the City of Morgantown planning department about a potential rezoning at 445 Van Buren (Van Bourse in the notice) Road related to a proposed eye institute by WVU hospitals. The county received the rezoning notice because the parcels lie within 200 feet of county health department property; Anthony de Feliz of the Monongalia County Health Department told staff that rezoning from R-1 to B-2 “should have minimal impact” on the health department but that the construction phase could be disruptive.

Votes at a glance: Approve consent agenda — motion carried by voice vote (all in favor; no roll-call recorded). Approve personnel (Jonas Jonathan Shrewsbury, full-time court security officer) — motion carried by voice vote. Approve personnel (Adam Howe, Chestnut Ridge Park seasonal hire) — motion carried by voice vote. Approve letter of support for City of Morgantown Arts and Cultural Development grant application — motion carried by voice vote. Approve engagement agreement with Steptoe & Johnson PLLC (Boyers Avenue property sale review) — motion carried by voice vote. Approve Requisition No. 36, Series 2021B Harmony Grove Phase 1 project fund (payments to listed vendors; Adrian Enterprises $30,000) — motion carried by voice vote. Approve Requisition No. 18, UTC Series 2023A administrative expense fund (Unicaps invoice ~$2,001.33) — motion carried by voice vote. Approve Requisition No. 99, UTC excise tax district administrative expense fund (Unicaps invoice $1,573.75) — motion carried by voice vote. Adopt updated drug/alcohol-free workplace and equal employment opportunity policies — motion carried by voice vote. Adopt hiring/onboarding consent policy (full-time start dates limited to 1st or 16th; part-time flexible) — motion carried by voice vote.

What commissioners directed: staff were instructed to distribute the updated policies to departments and require employee acknowledgments in ADP; the legal engagement was approved to begin analysis of the Boyers Avenue property sale options. No items were tabled.

Ending: The meeting closed after elected officials’ reports and a short discussion of correspondence; there were no public commenters during the public comment period.