Board member sleeps well

Dick Byrne, a Warm Springs sewer customer, stated his distaste for a member of the Board of Directors of the Warm Springs Public Service District taking a “salary” for one hour monthly meetings. Since attending the mandatory training class for new board members (2 1/2 days) in February, my volunteer hours accumulated to 202 in 4 1/2 months.

I have studied the three inch thick manual covering everything from State Code governing public service districts for water and sewer, including a section which deals with board compensation in order to serve more effectively. The State Government website is easily assessable as is the Morgan County Government website. Minutes of Warm Springs Board of Directors meetings are now being posted on that site.

We motioned the cessation of paying legal fees (monthly invoices) for repeated appeals to reverse the decision declining a rate increase denied due to a number of issues including failure to properly manage assets.

(Public Service Commission of WV case no. 10-1805-PSD-19A filed November 19, 2010). The Finding of Facts by the Administrative Law Judge M.P. Blair is available for your review. We have cut spending, collected thousands owed, and sold outdated equipment and refused to approve frivolous spending. These efforts combined involve more than $30,000.

A motion to fund the purchase of needed safety equipment failed with board members Paul Zorich and Mike Jenkins voting against. I suppose it takes a wife and mother to care enough. Some $2,500 spent now might save thousands tomorrow and save a life.

As a sewer customer, I chose to get “in the trenches” to effect change versus complaining about mis-management, poor oversight, complacency and lack of respect for the health and safety of the employees. I can be reached at 304-258-4575. I invite anyone who wishes contact me to examine the documentation. I sleep well at night knowing I give my personal best.

Joyce H. Altomare
Berkeley Springs