Morgantown receives over $850,000 for infrastructure improvements

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (WBKO) - Gov. Andy Beshear announced Wednesday, that the City of Morgantown would be receiving over $850,000 for infrastructure improvements.

“We really appreciate the governor’s office considering us,” said Morgantown Mayor, Billy Phelps. “Morgantown’s a small area, and I’ve gotten back-to-back Community Development Block Grants, so I’m excited about that.”

$700,000 will be going toward building a new fire station in the city.

“Since the start of our fire department, we’ve been in a county facility,” said Phelps. “So, this will be our first one that’s all ours.”

$122,033 will be going toward improvements to the city’s water distribution center.

“It’s going to add more water and it’s going to just help their whole facility to be able to operate and function better,” said Phelps. “That will, long term, better the health infrastructure of the city of Morgantown.”

Phelps is hopeful that the updates for the city will also bring in more jobs for the citizens.

“You’ve heard the term ‘you build it, they will come.’ Well, we’ve got to be able to provide,” he said. “ We have over 1000 factory jobs going every single day in Morgantown, and we’re trying to build more of that.”

This is just the tip of the iceberg, Phelps said the city is expecting another grant for improvements soon.

“We’re building a river dock and it’ll be part of our park system that we’re building,” Phelps said. “A park down by our river and that’ll be part of it. We’ll have a nice dock by our boat Marina.”

Phelps said that while he’s grateful for the grant, he can’t take the credit.

“I haven’t done anything. I have been blessed to have an unbelievable staff,” Phelps said. “That sounds odd, but the more we get going, it makes the job more fun.”

Copyright 2022 WBKO. All rights reserved.