Beech Tree News Network

The Morgantown City Council met in regular session on Thursday night at the Eva J. Hawes Community Center.  Council members Russell Givens, Allen Meredith, Dionne Merritt, Sharon Johnson, Ronald Givens and Gary Southerland were in attendance. Mayor Billy Phelps, City Administrator Jerrod Barks, Public Works Director Brad Johnson and Police Captain Paul Burden were also in attendance.

Mayor Billy Phelps called the meeting to order at 6:00 pm.  The invocation was given by Councilman Gary Southerland and the Pledge of Allegiance by Police Captain Paul Burden. 

March 12, 2016, Council minutes were approved.  The agenda was approved with no changes.
Captain Burden presented the police report for the month of May 2016.

Mr. Danny Cardwell from the Planning and Zoning Commission presented a year-end report that included the mobile home ordinance and sign ordinances from the current fiscal year. Plans for the coming year included: a comprehensive plan update and a zoning map update. Mr. James Dossey presented the Housing Authority Board report.  Mr. Dale Adcock, from the Utilities Board,  updated the Council on the addition of new meters for both water and gas utilities, creating a more efficient measurement for homeowners and the utilities.

City Administrator Jerrod Barks presented updates about the Morgantown Renaissance Project. He discussed the need to update the sidewalk ordinance and informed the council that the topic would be included in next month’s meeting.

Mayor Billy Phelps announced the City Police Department had joined with the company Carfax to allow citizens to receive their police reports online for a cost of $5.00. The Morgantown Police Department was the first department in the state to do so.
Mayor Phelps also announced that the industries in the City had grown in employment by a factor of 32% in the last two years.
According to Phelps, Boat Factory Road received 4 inches of blacktop in a repaving project. The Kentucky State Transportation Cabinet had awarded the City the funding for the repaving. The Mayor informed the Council that there was not an ordinance concerning fireworks, the Council agreed that the matter should be addressed before July 4th. The Mayor also notified the Council that four people have applied for the position of Chief of Police.

The Second Reading of the 2016-17 Budget Ordinance 2016-03 was approved.  Click here for a copy of the Budget:Copy of Original Budget-1.pdf

The Second Reading of the Park Ordinance 2016-02 was also approved.Click here for a copy of the Park Ordinance:Park Discipline Ordinance2-2.docx

With no new business the meeting was adjourned.