Greg Arnott, Steve Nulter and Kelley Sanders of the Union Williams PSD appeared before the Wood County Commission on Thursday to discuss the PSD expecting to come under the jurisdiction of the Wood County Commission soon to set rates. PSD and county officials discussed a number of issues and concerns about what that will look like. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)

PARKERSBURG – The Union Williams Public Service District is expanding and will soon come under the jurisdiction of the Wood County Commission in setting its rates.

Officials from Union Williams appeared before the Wood County Commission on Thursday to discuss what that will entail.

“Our PSD has continued to grow over the past few years and as our (fiscal) year ends in June, we are almost certainly at the point of being large enough to come under the county commission, instead of the PSC (Public Service Commission) in Charleston,” said Union Williams PSD Chairman Steve Nulter. “We feel it would be beneficial for everyone if we were under local jurisdiction and governments rather than Charleston and the state.”

Currently, the county sets the rates for Lubeck PSD and Mineral Wells PSD, Commission President Blair Couch said.

To be under local jurisdiction, a PSD must have over 4,000 customers or $3 million in annual revenue. The Union Williams officials did not say how close they were to meeting that benchmark.

Nulter said the PSC in Charleston was distance and had a bureaucracy that was hard to navigate at times.

The PSD is about to start on a sewer line upgrade project that has taken 7-8 years to get started, including different design phases and approval processes through the PSC.

“That process seems to be slower and slower as time goes on,” Nulter said.

The last water rate increase was in 2024 and the last sewer rate increase was in 2025, said Union Williams General Manager Kelley Sanders.

Commissioner Jimmy Colombo said a number of PSDs in the area seemed to have “closed-door policies” in dealing with customers.

Sanders said over the last year-and-a-half they have tried to have more office hours to handle walk-in customer concerns after the Wood County Commission made a request of local PSDs having received a number of complaints.

Nulter said they also provide a periodic newsletter for customers to give updates on what is happening in the district and they now have a website now to get customers information quicker. Commissioners asked for that newsletter to be sent to them since the county’s Veteran’s Park is a served by the PSD.

Their board meetings are open to the public, he said.

Commissioners highlighted an issue where a local volunteer fire department had a water shutoff notice from the PSD that county officials had to step in and help address the situation and get it resolved.

“They really wanted to pay their bill and not have their water shut off,” Commission President Blair Couch said. “It doesn’t make sense to turn off water service to a volunteer fire department.”

Although the Union Williams PSD offices are open from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.,Monday to Friday access is still very limited, county officials said.

Plans are in the works to expand and improve water and sewer service to the Mid-Ohio Valley Region Airport which could open up further opportunities for economic development, officials said.

“I think more openness wouldn’t hurt,” Colombo said. “I would request that you would work with people more openly so people feel they are involved.”

Colombo acknowledged that the PSD is also operating under certain constraints, but wanted to see what could be done to foster more cooperation.

“We want to be a partner in this, especially with economic development,” Couch said.

The officials from Union Williams agreed.

In other business:

– The commission announced three vacancies on the Wood County Fire Board. The people who have been serving, their terms expire June 5. They have all served their second and final term and cannot be reappointed.

– The commission swore in Eric N. Abilmona as a second Deputy Wood County Coroner.

– The commission opened bids for the demolition/cleanup on property located at 1252 Gihon Road, Parkersburg.

The bids were $25,000 from Ace Everything in Spencer, $5,000 from Empire Builders in Parkersburg, $6,800 from JC Bosley in Parkersburg and $5,000 from Tim Graham Excavating in Parkersburg.

Officials said they can’t recall the last time a tie came in on these kind of bids. They felt both Empire and Tim Graham would meet the necessary requirements to be able to do the job.

Wood County Prosecutor Pat Lefebure told the commission to have Wood County Compliance Officer Levi Brady reach out to the two contractors, explain the situation and have them submit sealed “their final and best offer” to resolve the tie.

If they come back with another tie, it could be resolved by a coin flip or a card draw or whatever the commission determines how to resolve it, he said.

“They should have the opportunity to be present for that,” Lefebure said.

Brady was suppose to reach out Thursday to the contractors and the new bids should be before the commission at 10 a.m. Monday.

Contact Brett Dunlap at bdunlap@newsandsentinel.com