Morgantown council approves unified reasonable‑accommodations process after public hearing

Morgantown City Council on July 7 approved on second reading an ordinance that establishes a unified process for handling requests for reasonable accommodations to the city’s laws, rules and public programs.

The ordinance, described at the meeting by the city attorney as an administrative, quasi‑judicial process, creates a single pathway for applicants to submit accommodation requests to the city clerk, routes requests to the appropriate department, sets processing time frames (about 30 days), and provides an appeal to the city manager. City Attorney Simonton told council: "This is not a judicial process through the courts. The decision on the request is described in the ordinance as a quasi‑judicial process because it is making a decision on an application." He also said the draft includes confidentiality provisions to protect medical or other sensitive information.

Public comment highlighted both support for clearer processes and concerns about transparency. Resident Justin Wojcick thanked the council for addressing requests for reasonable accommodation but warned of problems in the draft: "Firstly, there is a typo in 1 15.07 a where the words 'the accommodation' are repeated," he said, and he raised constitutional and due‑process concerns about how the ordinance describes its procedures. Another resident, John Lambertson, urged council to reject the ordinance as written, arguing it would shift decisions away from citizen boards such as the Board of Zoning Appeals and reduce opportunities for public notice and appeal.

Councilors questioned how the process would protect confidentiality, whether applicants and neighbors have appeal rights, and how the procedure interacts with local zoning authority. The attorney said the city may allow public notice and participation in some cases but that federal law sometimes requires confidentiality; he summarized that communities handle these processes differently.

After discussion the council moved, seconded and approved the second reading by roll call; the mayor announced that the ordinance "passes 7 0." The ordinance centralizes accommodation requests administratively with defined timelines and an internal appeal path to the city manager, while allowing staff discretion about public notice where appropriate.

Next steps: staff will implement the new process, route requests to relevant departments, and apply the confidentiality and appeal provisions described in the ordinance.