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Morgantown council approves Eastern Roller Mill deck and parking work after debate over costs and jurisdiction
Summary
Morgantown City Council voted 6–1 to award a contract to Veritas Contracting for deck and parking upgrades at the Eastern Roller Mill, saying the work will add an ADA parking space and improve public access. One councilor objected to approving piecemeal projects and spending city funds for property outside current city limits.
Morgantown City Council on April 7 approved awarding the deck and parking portion of the Eastern Roller Mill restoration project to Veritas Contracting, following a debate about whether the city should approve piecemeal work and spend municipal resources on property that lies outside the current city limits.
Staff told council five bids were submitted and recommended the lowest bidder, Veritas Contracting, for work that will create an ADA-compliant parking space and provide safe public access to the facility. The city said the project is partially funded through grants and partially from the city’s capital escrow; staff described the work as an initial safety and accessibility phase while longer-term restoration continues.
“One of the first and foremost is that we need to address the decking area that would allow people to access the facility, as well as any parking for ADA accessibility,” a staff member told council and recommended awarding to the lowest responsive bidder. The recommendation said the award is within the estimated budget for the contract package being considered.
Several councilors supported proceeding with the accessibility work to open the building to the public and reduce safety risks; other councilors urged caution. One councilor said approving multiple piecemeal contracts without an overall project estimate was “shortsighted,” and expressed frustration about spending city resources on property located outside the city boundary. Staff replied there have been prior efforts to pursue annexation of the property and that the city could resume outreach to neighboring landowners if council wished to pursue that option.
A motion to award the contract passed by roll call vote, 6–1. The clerk recorded six Yes votes and one No; the No vote came from a councilor who raised concerns about prioritization and jurisdiction. Council did not provide a consolidated total for the full restoration program; staff said a complete phase-by-phase estimate remains under evaluation and that the award approved on April 7 covers the immediate decking/parking package only.
Next steps described by staff include executing the contract with Veritas Contracting, using grant and capital-escrow resources for this phase, and continuing evaluations for later restoration phases. Council members said they will explore annexation options and look for historic-preservation grant opportunities to support further work.
