Wood County Commission receives update on business developments
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PARKERSBURG -- The Wood County Commission got an update on development in the county and continues to discuss local public service districts.
Lindsey Piersol of Wood County Development gave the commission an update on their activities locally.
They are trying to determine if they are receiving $1.4 or 1.9 million in federal earmark funds for the redevelopment of the Depot Street area.
Appraisals came back higher than expected and officials are going to re-evaluate to come up with alternative plans for the use of that money.
Piersol said they have been able to conduct business visits for a number of sites throughout the county, including Hino, Wincore, the Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Airport and others.
"We are getting back out," she said.
Many companies in the area have been adding employees since the end of many COVID restrictions, she said.
There has been interest shown in the old GE/Sabic site with interested parties looking at it, but there have been no offers made on the site.
They are getting requests from companies looking for 200 acres or 500 acres. That site has 374 acres. They will still present it.
"We seem to fall in that weird gap," Piersol said.
They have submitted the site for consideration 15 times for different projects over the last year.
Officials said local public service districts were unable to handle the water and sewer needs of some of the projects showing interest in that site. Piersol said the PSD officials are always helpful in providing information.
They got a new website which is geared toward use by site selectors. The website is located at developwoodcountywv.com.
In other business, the commission took no action on the proposed rate increase from the Lubeck Public Service District with officials saying all of the documentation was not handed in yet. They are expecting another rate increase from Claywood Park PSD which they received the documents this week and have 45 days to make a decision on. The commission did not discuss the particulars of Claywood Park's proposed rate increase.
Officials with the Lubeck PSD appeared before the commission earlier this year to discuss a 8% increase on water and a 9% increase on sewer. For people who use 2,000 gallons of water, the rate would increase $2 a month. If they use 3,000 gallons, it would increase by $3 and 4,000 gallons would increase by $4.
Earlier this week, the commission heard an initial proposal from West Virginia American Water who is interested in buying the local PSDs and providing water/sewer service to the area.
The commission has wanted some of the local PSDs to consolidate to better control costs. Many of the PSDs are afraid of losing local control with some residents afraid of seeing a significant increase to their bills if they have to go with the company.
Commission President Blair Couch, citing West Virginia Code 16-13A-1b, said the commission can look at how water/sewer service is done.
"Each county commission shall conduct a study of all public service districts which have their principal offices within its county and shall develop a plan relating to the creation, consolidation, merger, expansion or dissolution of such districts or the consolidation or merger of management and administrative services and personnel and shall present such plan to the Public Service Commission for approval, disapproval, or modification," the law said.
"It is within our power," Couch said. "The Public Service Commission always has oversight over this.
"They have to approve or disapprove any proposal and whether we move forward or not."
In other business:
The commission discussed an abandoned/dilapidated property at 267 Larkmead Road, Parkersburg. The property was in a distressed shape. The owners said they cannot afford the taxes on the property and are unable to clean up the property and said they were willing to deed the property over to the county to clean it up and sell it.
Construction of the new Wood County 911 Center is expected to be completed by Memorial Day. It will take months to get everything hooked up and ready to start receiving calls there. The new Wood County Resiliency Center is expected to be completed by Spring 2024.
The commission unanimously passed a proclamation declaring April 9-15 as National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week in Wood County.
The commission will lay the county levy rate on 9 a.m. Tuesday at the commission chambers at the Wood County Courthouse.
Brett Dunlap can be reached at bdunlap@newsandsentinel.com