Pedestrian and automobile security legislation up for public listening to, passage Wednesday

MORGANTOWN — A proposed ordinance regulating pedestrian and automobile security in Monongalia County will probably be again earlier than the county fee for a public listening to and potential adoption on Wednesday.  

Initially offered as a countywide panhandling legislation, the matter first appeared as a “public listening to” on the fee’s agenda Aug. 16. 

Fee President Tom Bloom offered and spoke in favor of the invoice, saying it might prohibit everybody from being within the roadway, no matter their intention, in an effort to eradicate a security hazard. 

A couple of half-dozen audio system opposed the proposal, claiming it was an unconstitutional legislation concentrating on the poor that will land the county in courtroom. 

Representatives of the ACLU of West Virginia, Mountain State Justice and the League of Ladies Voters had been amongst these to precise considerations concerning the proposed ordinance. 

The legislation presently earlier than the fee is identical in each significant method, save two adjustments. The brand new model makes exceptions for first responders who should carry out their duties inside a right-of-way, and has diminished a primary offense to a warning as an alternative of a quotation. 

The ordinance consists of plenty of prohibitions for each pedestrians inside a right-of-way and automobile passengers that will make it criminality for each events to work together and go or trade gadgets. 

The ordinance would additionally prohibit standing, sitting or in any other case remaining inside a roadway or median not wider than 10 toes for any cause aside from crossing the road, and makes issues for exercise on or close to roads primarily based on automobile pace, site visitors quantity and lighting circumstances, amongst different elements. 

The draft ordinance is offered at monongaliacounty.gov by clicking the “county ordinances” hyperlink. 

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