| The Mt. Zion PSD elected officers at a meeting held last night in Arnoldsburg, Sharon Postalwait was re-elected chairperson, Roscoe Gainer was elected vice-chairperson and Shirley Mace was elected secretary-treasurer.
Mace said "We are taking many steps to get the PSD back in shape."
The board created a new Budget and Finance Committee to oversee accounts payable and accounts receivable, appointing Shirley Mace, Saundra Ballengee and Norma Collins.
Part of their assignment is to create a 2010 monthly and yearly budget to help return financial soundness to the PSD.
Following months of attempting to obtain PSC minutes and records from the former secretary-treasurer, PSD attorney Tom Whittier told the board, "We've assembled a number of records, which we will file," with the West Virginia Public Service Commission, who has requested PSD files dating back to 2006.
The WV-PSC is conducting an investigation of the board, following a request by the Calhoun Commission.
Whitter advised the board that the WV-PSC has extended the deadline for PSD records to be delivered, the WV-PSC acknowledges the board's difficulties in obtaining the records, and the board's good faith efforts to comply.
Following the advice of Whitter, the board went into a lengthy executive session to discuss five items listed on the agenda: (1) Pending litigation on contract 1 (2)Litigation procedure on contract 2 (3) Closing procedures for the water project scheduled for December 21 and December 23 (4) Updates or reports from the USDA,(5) Any other comments.
Following the executive session, Chairperson Sharon Postalwait, said "No action was taken" during the closed door session.
The board discussed efforts to prepare a written Operation and Maintenance Contract with Tom Ullum and Tom Fluharty, as required by the USDA and the WV Public Service Commission.
Whitter said an effort is being made to reduce monthly fine payments from $2,000 to $1,000, related to DEP fines issued against the PSD's sewage operation.
Fluharty and Ullum gave a report to the board regarding a recent problem with the system, where a valve stuck, pumping a huge amount of excess water into storage tanks, causing them to overflow.
Fluharty and Ullum issued a laundry list of repairs and shortcomings, they say have long been neglected, including the erection of security fences around the water tanks.
Whitter says he had yet to hear dates set by the court to hear a temporary injunction requested by Arnoldsburg contractor Ron Lane.
Roscoe Gainer said, "Despite all the problems, we're trying to get water flowing to people who really need it."
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