Agreeing to a number of trade-offs with West Virginia University, Kanawha County commissioners on Thursday voted not to file or support lawsuits that would block the relocation of the school's Institute of Technology to Beckley.
During their monthly meeting Thursday, commissioners unanimously voted to sign an agreement with the university, which has promised to provide support to local governments that stand to suffer economic losses when WVU Tech moves out of Montgomery in 2017. As part of the agreement, the university has vowed to maintain facilities it will vacate until 2025 and will help fund economic development plans for local governments affected by the move.
"This is a tough, tough, tough, tough blow to our counties," said Commission President Kent Carper. "But we have to make the best of it."
The agreement, which also could be signed by the Fayette County Commission and towns of Montgomery and Smithers, will establish collaborative teams that will study and address the economic impact of moving WVU Tech out of the Upper Kanawha Valley, where it has been located since 1895.
Kanawha County is the first of four local governments to vote on the agreement. Rob Alsop, the university's vice president for legal, government and entrepreneurial engagement said meetings with Fayette County, Montgomery and Smithers officials are planned.
The university planned to meet with Montgomery Mayor Jim Higgins later Thursday.
When asked if Montgomery and other local officials support the agreement, Alsop said he didn't want to speak for anyone. He later said both Kanawha and Fayette county commissions and the towns of Montgomery and Smithers were involved in drafting the agreement, which was written to benefit all parties involved.
According to agreement terms, WVU will cover all expenses for maintaining the Montgomery campus for the next 10 years. That promise is a win, commissioners said Thursday.
"It was our primary goal," Carper said.
Commissioner Dave Hardy thanked the university for putting the agreement in writing instead of "making vague promises."
The university also will conduct an economic impact study on the relocation. Alsop said work on that has already started.
As for future use of WVU Tech facilities, Alsop said the university is exploring all alternatives, including state, federal, private and public takeover. When asked if the university has approached the state Department of Agriculture, which is looking to relocate some of its laboratories, Alsop said that is something the university would be open to doing.
By signing the agreement, Kanawha County officials have made official earlier promises not to sue the university. In October, commissioners unanimously decided they would not try to stop WVU Tech's move after they met with university officials who promised support for the Upper Kanawha Valley.
Carper said the agreement is fair and that the commission has sought to do the best it could since WVU Tech's relocation was announced in September. He also said he expects criticism for signing the agreement.
"But no one has come up with a better plan," Carper said, adding that suing the state over the relocation would be a waste of tax dollars and resources.
Delegate Larry Rowe, D-Kanawha, attended Thursday's meeting and spoke in favor of the agreement, though he noted how difficult accepting WVU Tech's relocation has been for locals.
"There's a pain we all feel about Tech leaving Montgomery," he said. "But we have to accept it and move on."
As part of the agreement, WVU also promises to uphold existing collaborative initiatives with BridgeValley Community and Technical College and Montgomery General Hospital.
WVU's Board of Governors unanimously approved moving WVU Tech to Beckley in September. Part of the reason university President Gordon Gee and Tech President Carolyn Long gave for moving the school was its failure to meet enrollment goals and serious structural issues with buildings on campus, brought on by an estimated $100 million in deferred maintenance.
When asked if any buildings on campus would be demolished, Alsop said there aren't any plans to do so. As part of the agreement, the university will maintain buildings the Montgomery campus for the next 10 years or until they are sold.
The university will occupy the campus for at least another year as relocation happens in two stages. Starting this fall, first-year students will be admitted to the Beckley campus, which was purchased by WVU last year for $8 million. Sophomores, juniors and seniors can choose to complete their degrees in Montgomery, and the school's 15 sports programs will not be moved until after the transition is completed, in 2017.
In other news, commission:
n Appointed Kent Carper as commission president, making him the longest-serving president in Kanawha County history. This is Carper's 12th consecutive year as president and his 20th year on the commission. Hoppy Shores was also appointed president pro tempore. Shores has been on the commission for 30 years, making him the longest serving commissioner in West Virginia history.
n Decided to allocate $350,000 to the Kanawha County Emergency Ambulance Authority for the purchase of four new ambulances. Currently, the ambulance authority has 50 ambulances in their fleet, most of which have more than 250,000 miles on them. Joe Lynch, executive director of the ambulance authority, said the ambulances usually drive about 100,000 miles a year.
n Learned tax collection is down for the county by 10 percent.
n Discussed Christmas Day flooding. Emergency management received a total of 113 complaints about the flood Dec. 25, 24 from homeowners who had insurance. Forty-one homes were affected by the flood while 38 had minor damages, 17 had moderate damages and 17 had major damages. Emergency management has hauled out 24.5 tons of debris from the areas affected.
n Set aside $300,000 for new voting equipment. The cost to completely replace the equipment will be $3 million.
Staff writer Daniel Desrochers contributed to this report.
Reach Samuel Speciale at sam.speciale@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-7939 or follow @samueljspeciale on Twitter.