Ward & Boundary Commission

WARD & BOUNDARY COMMISSION MEETING Thursday, January 9, 2014 10:00 a.m. City Hall – Council Chambers PRESENT: Chairman Alan Donaldson, Commission members: Don West, David Huffman, William Ryan, Roger Banks and Guy Panrell. City of Morgantown Administration: City Clerk Linda Little, Deputy City Clerk Bethany Sypolt and Assistant City Engineer Damien Davis. Commissioner Steve Carpenter was absent. The meeting was called to order by the Chairman Donaldson. NEW BUSINESS: Mr. Donaldson reviewed voter registration data provided from the 2012 election totals. Ms. Little presented the Commission with new voter registration data acquired on January 7th, which is up to date and shows the total number of registered voters per precinct within city limits. There was then discussion about the reports and maps provided to the commission previously, enumerating some discrepancies between wards. Mr. Panrell informed the Commission that he reported to the City Manager the conduct of the Council Members who attended the last work session of the Commission. The Commissioners then discussed Mr. Panrell’s comments, the occurrences of the last meeting, and the attending Council Member’s behavior at the last meeting. Mr. Davis arrived and presented the Commission with a new larger map showing a greater area. The Commissioners examined and discussed the new map and its content. They also discussed certain areas of concern and some of the objectives of the Commission. Motion by Mr. Ryan, second by Mr. West to accept the map provided by the Engineering Department of the City, illustrating annexations to the City’s Corporate Limits as presented. Motion carried by unanimous consent. Mr. Ryan then brought up the task of equalizing the wards by number of voters as is the Commission’s prescribed duty. Certain areas where different wards overlap in the County’s voting precincts were discussed, and the Commission reviewed the data presented on these overlapping areas. Discussion continued as Commissioners reviewed and tabulated the total number of registered voters in each ward and compared the results. Discrepancies among the different wards were discussed.  Motion by Mr. Panrell, second by Mr. Banks to extend the Fifth Ward boundary line to Darst and Mineral Streets as drawn by the Commissioners and shown on the map provided to them. Motion carried by unanimous consent. Discussion commenced about the disproportionate voter registration data among the Fourth and Seventh Wards, and how to best reconcile the difference. Motion by Mr. Banks, second by Mr. West to extend the Seventh Ward boundary into the Fourth Ward along the rights of way of Jacobs, Mulberry and Kenmore as drawn by the Commissioners and shown on the map provided to them. Further, it was added that the Fourth Ward boundary shall be revised to include the BB&T Bank property along Collins Ferry Road. Motions carried by unanimous consent. After some discussion about how to reconcile the numbers in the Third and Second Wards, it was decided that the Commission shall reconvene and complete its task at a later date, after reassessing the changes made to the map and the related new voter registration totals. ADJOURNMENT: There being no further business, motion by Mr, Ryan, second by Mr. West to adjourn. The meeting adjourned by unanimous consent at 12:20 p.m. Prepared by: _________________________ Chair Bethany Sypolt Date Approved: _________________