Ward Boundary Commission to seek public input on alternative Morgantown ward maps

The Ward Boundary Commission on June 22 voted unanimously to ask staff to prepare both in-person and digital public-input options on a set of proposed ward maps, directing that those materials be ready for sessions in late July and that a digital survey accompany the outreach.

Chair opened the meeting and said, "At this time, if any members of the public are present and wishing to speak, now is the time to do it," noting there were no public commenters. Commissioners then turned to unfinished business: reviewing updated ward maps and voter statistics and deciding which versions to carry forward for public review.

Commissioners discussed multiple drafts submitted by commissioners and staff, focusing on neighborhood contiguity for areas including Wilds Hill, Highland Park and Sunnyside and the tradeoffs of assigning rural farm blocks to adjacent wards. The group repeatedly stressed that registered voters — not total census population — would be the primary balancing metric this cycle. "We end up having to pick one of those metrics and we this year again chose voters," the chair said during the discussion, noting the difficulty of balancing both voters and student-dense census counts near the university.

Staff demonstrated how small boundary changes affect registered-voter totals and contiguity; for example, commissioners heard that "Second Ward is sitting at 1,777 registered voters right now," and that moving a few blocks could shift double-digit voter counts between adjacent wards. Staff also recommended clear, physical boundaries where possible (for example, Aspen Street was proposed as a good dividing line between Wards 4 and 7).

Commissioners debated whether to include automated "tool runs" (AI-assisted map outputs) in public materials. Several members said most tool-run outputs were not suitable as primary options but could remain in the record or be shown as an example of how automated proposals differ from commissioner-drawn maps. Marvin, a staff GIS specialist, told the commission the office could produce a short explanatory story map or video and said, "A story map for us is like we have it done in half a day," offering multiple digital options to accompany in-person sessions.

On a motion read into the record, the commission directed staff to prepare verbiage for public displays, assemble physical and digital survey tools (including map-choice options and a QR code), and plan three public input sessions in late July at City Hall and Wilds Hill with a potential third location. The motion (as read) also directed the chair to work with staff to coordinate scheduling and logistics; Commissioner Alice Meehan seconded the motion. Christine read the roll and recorded a 6–0 vote in favor.

The commission set a follow-up meeting for Monday, July 6, to finalize which maps will be presented to the public, approve display language and confirm session dates and locations. Staff will compile map files, charts showing voter statistics, and the digital survey for the commission to review before the sessions. The commission expects to include public input in its final report to the City Council, projected at the end of September.

What happens next: the commission will meet July 6 to choose up to three or four maps to present, finalize outreach materials, and confirm logistics for late-July public input sessions. Staff will prepare digital and printed materials and a summary of voter-statistic impacts for each proposed map.