Town council hears about Shepherdstown Remote Worker Program, CATF events

Twiley
SHEPHERDSTOWN — The Corporation of Shepherdstown’s monthly Town Council meeting began with a discussion by Smith Outdoor Economic Development Collaborative Assistant Dean Danny Twiley about the Shepherdstown Remote Worker Program, Tuesday evening on Zoom.
The program, which is currently in the developmental stage, is intended to attract remote workers to Shepherdstown, through the development of community locations and recreational events and the establishment of a central location for approved remote workers to work from, according to Twiley. Applications from remote workers for the two-year program are currently being accepted from Morgantown residents. After the program has been further developed, the application process will be opened to Shepherdstown residents and then to other West Virginia residents.
“I have a sense that most people who apply are already going to have some connection or interest to Shepherdstown,”Twiley said, mentioning the remote working location, as well as some of the other program-related infrastructure and social program developments in the town, will be funded by the program.
“We haven’t selected the coworking space,” Twiley said, mentioning he and some of his fellow staff members will be visiting Shepherdstown next month to begin location scouting. “We’re looking to you all to help us with finding that. We want it to be around recreation, we want it to be around energy, we want people to be around it. We would prefer if it was in downtown Shepherdstown.”
Shepherdstown is one of a handful of towns in the state that will be included in the $25 million program.
Contemporary American Theater Festival Associate Producing Director Peggy McKowen requested for the section of King Street behind the Shepherdstown Public Library, from German Street to New Street, to be blocked off on July 9, 16, 23 and 30 was approved.
“We’re going to have some in-person, live, interactive experiences. We want them to be downtown in Shepherdstown,” McKowen said, mentioning the events will be limited to 100 people, and will be intended to attract tourists to support Shepherdstown’s small businesses, through the possible inclusion of beer and wine sales from nearby businesses.
The Town Council agreed to approve the event, once event insurance could be obtained to cover it. Reynolds Hall has been secured as a back-up location for these events, in case of inclement weather.
The Town Council ended the meeting by unanimously approving the three-year appointments of Shepherd University history professor Keith Alexander to the Historic Landmarks Commission; Sue Kemnitzer, John Bresland and Mike Godfrey to the Water Board; and Bob Keller to the Sanitary Board. A request for the section of King Street in front of Town Hall to be blocked off into a one-way road for a car parade in honor of Shepherdstown resident Margaret Alcott’s 105th birthday on April 24, from 3-4:30 p.m., was also unanimously approved.