| Following hurdles, set backs, legal problems and delays, Virginia McDonald, area specialist with USDA Rural Development, has announced Calhoun's $5.2 million, 29-mile water project to bring water to southern Calhoun and the Millstone-Sand Ridge-Russett areas, is moving forward.
Tim Meeks, with the Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Council, told the Calhoun Commission that a pre-closing, pre-construction meeting to move the project forward has been scheduled for the Arnoldsburg Community Building on April 22 at 10 a.m.
USDA Rural Development, after reviewing the dropping of two contractor lawsuits against the Mt. Zion PSD, has made the decision to approve funding.
McDonald said an issue raised by PSD attorney Tom Whittier requesting the Calhoun Commission drop the investigation of the Mt. Zion PSD did not affect the decision.
Attorney Whitter indicated recently that the Calhoun Commission was now holding up the project with its investigation, loudly disputed by the commissioners.
The Calhoun Commission, with an approving motion from the Mt. Zion PSD itself, requested an investigation of the district's financial records.
The WV Public Service Commission agreed to conduct the investigation, taking initial steps, but that agency appears to be trying to back out of the process.
The PSC has extended the report date for their investigation three times, and has recently been extended to 2011.
PSD attorney Leslie Anderson has said the Mt. Zion PSD is getting back on track, indicating it might be a good idea to "move ahead" and drop the investigation.
The WV Public Service Commission has reportedly collected most of the existing records and bank statements of the Mt. Zion PSD.
Several audits and operating statements had not been filed with the WV Public Service Commission.
The Calhoun Commission will continue to insist on continuing the investigation.
The commission has taken an active roll to uncover Mt. Zion PSD problems, after discovering the project was stuck and helping obtain right-of-ways which had languished for over a year.
The commission, without success, attempted to obtain operating records of the PSD from former secretary-treasurer Wilma Mace.
Two contractors are still engaged in civil action against the Mt. Zion PSD's project engineer Jim Hildreth, claiming bid interference.
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