Beech Tree News Network

Morgantown City Council met on Thursday, July 9. Concerns about flock cameras around Morgantown were raised by a community  member, Cale Hop. Giles Taylor, Chief of Police, explained that the installation of the  license plate readers is contracted for a year, with data set to store for 30 days before  being purged. Upon signing the contract, agreements are also signed to prevent the sale  of city data to third parties. This will allow the department to evaluate the benefits,  before a longer commitment is made. Taylor also clarified that these cameras and  systems are reactive, only alerting officers when they receive an NCIC match. Some of  the potential benefits include inter-agency reciprocity with neighboring cities to increase  coverage and officer safety. Council members acknowledged privacy and security  concerns, noting that Flock reworked security after earlier issues of hacking.  

Council members approved for Michelle Tutko to move from the Board of Adjustments to the Code Enforcement Board.  

Planning and Zoning reported one residential request was reviewed and approved and  their regular scheduled meeting. Housing reported 25 vacant units, with majority of  available housing being 3-bedroom units. They have 33 applications on the waiting list,  of which 24 need a 1-bedroom unit.  

Utilities addressed several water leaks, rebuilt controls and cabling at multiple lift  stations, replaced aging pipe and panel, and recovered a burned up river pump motor.  Public Works picked up around 30 loads of brush, mowed parks – right of ways – MOGO Commons, and repaired drainage on River Road. MOGO Transit had 1,213  riders and delivered 551 meals. 

Code Enforcement has a total of 26 open cases. 12 new cases were opened, 4 closed, and  1 lien placed on a property in the month of June. Some long-standing problem  properties with liens may go to foreclosure or sale through the master commissioner.  Animal Control reported 15 cases in June, all of which are concluded. Lawson White,  Animal Control Officer, has registered for the Kentucky Animal Care & Control  Conference in October. 

For the month of June, the police department answered 234 dispatch calls for service, worked 16 motor vehicle accidents, made 12 arrests, opened 6 new criminal cases, made 25 traffic stops, and wrote 11 traffic citations.

The fire department reported 5 vehicle accidents in the city - 10 in the county, 6 calls for medical assistance in the city - 12 in the county, 5 calls for assistance in the city - 2 in the county, 3 calls canceled en route in the city - 2 in the county, 1 city structure fire - 2 in the county, 2 county woods / grass fires, and 2 county vehicle fires. Chief Dustin Embry reported that the fire department provided significant support during the catfish festival, by using a tanker for water at the fairgrounds and medical care when needed. 

City Clerk, Allie Lee, reported that they have been preparing fiscal year documents for Fiscal Years 2025 and 2026. Lee reported that the city will be moving their email from Bluehost to Microsoft Outlook, which is expected within a couple weeks. Finally, she disclosed that the city’s website has been fully redesigned to be more functional for citizens. The site is ready to launch, pending mayor review and approval. 

Mayor Phelps gave an apology regarding the firework display at the catfish festival, as it was impacted by the heavy rain. The organizer lost equipment and some fireworks; however, was able to save some product and made a commitment to cover next year. Phelps announced the city’s upcoming Hispanic Heritage event on September 19 and the Mayor’s Monster Mash on October 24. The city pool has completed two dive-in movies and a free-swim night that has reached capacity. 

The mayor went on to discuss the pocket park construction is underway. The contractor confirmed the existing foundation was usable and they are now proceeding with fencing. The city is coordinating with the contractor to ensure there is sufficient electricity and completion before the holiday hoopla.