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Monongalia County approves three-party MOU to fund Kings Court storm sewer project
Summary
The Monongalia County Commission on Jan. 29 approved a memorandum of understanding with the Morgantown Utility Board and developer RDR Properties to fund storm sewer improvements near the Kings Court development. The $320,000 project will be led by MUB; Monongalia County and MUB will split up to $240,000 and RDR will contribute $80,000.
The Monongalia County Commission approved a three-party memorandum of understanding on Jan. 29 to carry out a storm sewer improvement project near the Kings Court development, with a total project budget of $320,000.
Commissioner Sean Stone said the Morgantown Utility Board will lead the work and the county and MUB will split 75 percent of the remaining costs, not to exceed $120,000 each, while RDR Properties will contribute $80,000. "The project budget is $320,000," Stone said. "The commission and MUB would split 75% of that, 240,000 not to exceed 120,000 each. RDR Properties would contribute $80,000 or 25% of the project."
The agreement grew from earlier public concern about long-standing runoff and flooding in the larger neighborhood. Stone read a memorandum describing outreach to residents and said the funding arrangement and MUB’s role go beyond what the developer would be required to do under statute or local ordinance. "Fixing this long standing issue was a condition that is over and above what they would be required to do through statute slash local ordinance," Stone said.
Commissioners said the MOU resulted from direct negotiations among the parties after talks started to deteriorate. County planning staff provided engineering input and RDR and MUB supplied design and legal support, officials said. County officials said the developer’s contribution would cover about 16 percent of the overall runoff implicated by the project.
Commissioner Sean Stone and Commissioner Bloom moved and seconded the measure; the court recorded the motion as passed with ayes from the two commissioners present and one commissioner absent. The resolution authorizes the county to split costs with MUB not to exceed $120,000 from county funds and directs staff to execute the MOU and proceed with the project in coordination with MUB and RDR Properties.
County officials said the Kings Court storm sewer work, together with the nearby Pocono Run project, is intended to address flooding problems residents have raised over recent years. Staff and the utility board will coordinate engineering and contracting; the MOU assigns MUB project management responsibilities.
The commission did not specify an exact construction start date at the meeting. County planner Andrea was present to answer questions during the discussion; developer representative David Biafra and legal counsel Mark Keppel and Mike McNulty of MUB were acknowledged for their participation in negotiating the agreement.
