MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Residents and council members urged Morgantown’s City Council on Tuesday to provide concrete actions and updates on housing and warming-shelter plans after the city’s camping ban ordinance took effect.
Leslie Nash, speaking as a resident, asked the council for specifics about results since the ban’s adoption: “I am really interested to hear from council what has been done to ensure that we have more housing for people who are currently unhoused,” she said, asking how many people have been housed and how many shelter beds have been added since the ban began.
Lindsey Jacobs, another resident, pressed for operational details about the warming shelter: “Where are folks gonna go? Where is the warming shelter gonna be? How is it gonna be staffed? Who's gonna oversee it?” she asked, and said last year’s shelter had been “very dysfunctional.”
Councilors and the mayor acknowledged the urgency and outlined a short-term schedule to develop solutions. Mayor Trumbull said she and members of the Morgantown Community Response (MCR) board have met with Catholic Charities and planned additional meetings with city administration, Morgantown Police Department leadership and MCR to discuss the warming shelter and impacts of the camping ban on local service campuses.
Councilor Mark Downs urged prompt action: “If this doesn't get solved soon, it's gotta be all hands on deck, people, or it's gonna turn real bad real fast,” he said.
Council members agreed to continue interagency coordination and to hold a public work session on Sept. 30 to develop operational plans and staffing for a warming shelter and to review housing actions; the mayor said the city hopes to meet with Catholic Charities in the next 10 days before that work session. Jeff Arment, the county’s MCR representative, was identified in discussion as already participating in MCR conversations.
Council did not vote on changes to the camping ban ordinance at the meeting. Several speakers in the public portion suggested repealing the ordinance’s criminal penalties; one resident said she planned to discuss deletion of criminal penalties “with many of you individually.” Council members said they were open to discussing options but emphasized that the MCR–Catholic Charities meetings and the Sept. 30 workshop would inform next steps.
The City Manager (Danielle) and staff were tasked with continuing coordination and scheduling; council asked staff to report back with proposed operational plans, potential staffing models and funding approaches during the scheduled Sept. 30 Committee of the Whole work session.