BACK TO THE FUTURE: City officials ponder the future as work continues on Comprehensive Plan

Wed, 06/06/2012 - 1:06pm — Diane Dyer

“Our vision is being a vibrant, thriving community rooted in our heritage, flourishing in opportunities for citizens of all ages who take pride in themselves and in their community.”

This vision statement was developed a few months ago to guide city officials and boards as they make decisions concerning the city of Morgantown.

The Morgantown City Council and the Planning and Zoning Board held a work session on Tuesday night, June 5, to help develop goals and objectives that will be included in the City of Morgantown's Comprehensive Plan.

Members of the Barren River Area Development (BRADD) Planning and Development Services facilitated the meeting. Ashley Simpson shared basic information about Morgantown and Butler County obtained from the 2010 Census.

“It is important to understand the population of the city when developing goals and objectives,” said Simpson.

Population Change and Projections

	1980	1990	200	2010
Morgantown	2,000	2,284	2,534	2,394
Butler County	11,064	11,245	13,010	12,690

Demographics by Race

	White (%)	Black/African American (%)	Hispanic/Latino (%)	Asian (%)	Multiracial (%)
Morgantown	2,193 (91.6)	15 (0.6)	228 (9.5)	7 (0.3)	25 (1.0)
Butler County	12,303 (97.0)	48 (0.4)	322 (2.5)	20 (0.2)	115 (0.9)

Demographics by Age

Age	Under 5	5-14	15-19	20-29	30-39	40-49	50-64	65+	Median Age
Morgantown	175	263	125	412	265	286	382	486	38.5 years
Butler County	799	1,630	778	1,566	1,556	1,775	2,581	2,005	40.1 years

Housing Occupancy

	Total Housing Units	Occupied Housing Units	Vacant Units	For Rent	Rental, not Occupied	For Sale	Sold Not Occupied	Seasonal Use	All Other Vacant
Morgantown	1,113	1,004	109	53	3	11	1	7	34
Butler Co.	5,877	5,057	820	98	10	54	44	123	491

Income of Working Households – 2009/2010 ACS

	Number of Households	Under $10,000	$10,000-$24,999	$25,000- $49,999	$50,000- $99,999	$100,000 and Over	Mean Income
Morgantown	987	30.9%	23.0%	29.3%	11.2%	5.5%	$33,009
Butler Co.	5,361	14.9%	25.0%	29.8%	24.2%	6.1%	$41,658

The group had an open discussion concerning the needs of Morgantown as well as the strengths of the City. Morgantown’s Mission Statement, also developed with the Vision Statement, was included in the discussion. Goals and objectives should reflect the Mission and Vision Statements.

Our mission for Morgantown includes the following:

· Creating a community where our citizens can find meaningful employment

· Promoting a healthy, safe, clean, drug-free environment where our quality of life is protected

· Encouraging all citizens and officials to improve Morgantown’s physical appearance and have well maintained businesses, homes, and property

· Passionately preserving our culture and heritage while showcasing our resources, talents, and location

· Providing outstanding educational opportunities that enrich lives and preparing all citizens for a successful transition to their life’s work

· Encouraging our current and future businesses to provide our citizens with “shop at Home” needs while promoting a family oriented atmosphere

· Working in partnership with our county, industries, businesses, churches, schools and organizations

The group, in developing the vision statement, looked at the following areas: economic base, transportation, infrastructure, governance/organizations, community facilities, and housing.

The development of the Morgantown City's Comprehensive Plan is an ongoing process. Meetings will be held in the upcoming months to continue their discussion.

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