MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Councilman Barry Wendell has issued a challenge to anyone who opposes the city’s purchase of the Haymaker Forest for $5.2 million.
Show up at Tuesday night’s Morgantown City Council meeting.
Wendell stated on Friday’s Morgantown AM on MetroNews affilate WAJR, he doesn’t expect to see a large crowd opposing the purchase.
“I don’t think that’s going to happen,” Wendell stated.
“This is a challenge to all those online people who come at us with various things, show up at the meeting. They don’t show up. There’s a few that come but there’s very few. If ten people who criticize us harshly online, maybe one will show up at a meeting but mostly they don’t.”
Wendell stated he will be a “yes” vote Tuesday night and that he is not worried about the $5.2 million price tag.
“We took it to the budget people and the finance people and they said ‘this can all be worked out’ and that’s how I feel about it,” he said. “If they say it’s good then it’s good.”
When asked if he could show specifically in the budget where the money to pay for the purchase would come from, Wendell deferred to the city manager.
“I don’t think it’s really my job to do that,” insisted Wendell. “I’m the idea guy.”
The land contract included in the city council packet for Tuesday’s meeting stipulates that $250,000 is due two days after the contract is executed and an additional $500,000 is due at closing.
“I think people in the city and to come extent in the county are willing to pay more to get the city they want. We were elected to set a vision for a really great city and do whatever it took to get that. I think people have supported us. They voted for us and that’s what we need to do, to do whatever it takes to be a great city.”
Tuesday night’s meeting begins at 7 p.m.