Morgantown, W.Va., Moves to Hike Fire Fee

By Cassie Shaner, The Dominion Post, Morgantown, W.Va.

Jun. 6–A proposal to increase the city’s fire service fee by 13 percent sparked heated debate among Morgantown City Council members Tuesday.

The fee would go up for the second time this year — by 67 cents, to $5.80 per square foot for structures three stories and under. The fee was increased by 8 percent in January, to $5.13 per square foot. Prior to that, city manager Dan Boroff said, the fee had not been increased in 14 years.

The money would help pay for the city’s North Side Fire Station, to be built near WVU’s Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center, Fieldcrest Hall and Centra Bank on a 30,000-square-foot parcel of land donated by the Monongalia County Commission and WVU. Initially estimated at $2 million, the project’s price tag is now about $3.6 million, Boroff said.

“I don’t think I can go along with this,” Councilman Jim Manilla said at Tuesday’s meeting. “I think we need to stay at 8 percent.”

Manilla said the fire station needs to be built, though. He asked whether council could delay construction of a city building and use $400,000 set aside for that project toward the fire station. Boroff said council could do that, but it would delay the city building considerably. He advised the council members to consider their priorities, calling it a “late date to start rearranging such big numbers.”

Councilman Frank Scafella was concerned that delaying the fire station to find other funding might affect the city’s Insurance Service Organization rating. If the city’s ISO rating drops, insurance premiums may go up, he said.

“It’s really a tradeoff,” Scafella said. “When you grow, there are benefits, but it’s costly.”

Councilman Ron Bane agreed with Manilla and said council was being “careless.”

“We have $400,000 sitting there and we’re asking [residents] to take the burden,” Bane said.

Councilman Bill Byrne complimented Boroff’s ability to manage finances. Like Scafella, he said certain costs are associated with growth.

“I don’t think you’re going to get a new fire station on the north side without paying for it,” Byrne said. “It should be paid for by the people who are going to use it.”

Ultimately, Mayor Ron Justice suggested Boroff examine the matter and present council with some other financing options. Council voted 6-1 to move the proposal to a public hearing and second reading. Manilla voted against the first reading.

In other business, council:

–Adopted a law that redefines the terms “community center,”"guest house” and “professional services establishment” in the city’s R-1 and R-1A residential zoning districts. Bane questioned whether the law restricted public or private community centers, such as the Wiles Hill School Senior-Community Center being renovated and constructed by BOPARC. Council clarified that community centers may still be operated by public or private entities. The law was adopted unanimously.

–Approved a B-4 Neighborhood Preservation Overlay District. The law limits buildings south of Deckers Creek to 55 feet in height or 940 feet in elevation, and reinstates parking rules removed in January 2006.

–Approved a law that restricts bed and breakfast inns in the city’s R-1 and R-1A residential zoning districts. Teresa Miller, Don Spencer and Bane voted against it, arguing that residents should be able to decide what they want in their neighborhoods.

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Copyright (c) 2007, The Dominion Post, Morgantown, W.Va.

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