Wood County Commissioner Jimmy Colombo, right, hands a paper to Commission President Blair Couch as Commissioner Bob Tebay looks on during a meeting Thursday at the Wood County Courthouse. (Photo by Evan Bevins)

PARKERSBURG — The Wood County Commission on Thursday set tentative dates for a public hearing and vote on rate increases requested by the Claywood Park and Lubeck public service districts and rejected a proposed plan of action for a mobile home park with numerous dilapidated structures.

Claywood Park has requested an 11% sewer rate increase and a water rate hike that would raise rates by 4.5% initially and then another 1.69% upon completion of a grant-funded improvement project. In correspondence with the commission, representatives of the utility said the increases are needed “to stay in compliance with its existing statutory and bond obligations and to also pursue projects from time to time to extend and improve its system.”

Lubeck is seeking a 9% water rate increase and 8% for sewer. Documents submitted to the commission indicate the existing rates do not allow the utility to meet statutory financial performance requirements, including a working capital reserve fund for the water division, which prevents it from closing on improvement projects.

Documents from both utilities reference where their increased rates in some cases would be lower than those charged by West Virginia-American Water, which has made inquiries about purchasing the local public service districts.

Under state code, the largest public service districts in West Virginia seek approval for rates from county commissions rather than the Public Service Commission. Two of those – Lubeck and Claywood Park – are in Wood County, Commission President Blair Couch said.

A public hearing in which commissioners will question representatives of both districts about the requested increases is planned during the commission’s regular Thursday, May 18, meeting. It will be held in the Fort Boreman Conference Room at the Judge Black Annex on Market Street.

“We will not cast a vote that day,” Couch said.

That’s expected to take place at the Monday, May 22, meeting.

Compliance Officer Sarah Robinson discussed with commissioners a plan of action submitted by Gihon Terrace Mobile Home Park owner Tom Hohman, who lives in North Carolina.

Last year, 19 trailers at the park were condemned and deemed uninhabitable. The plan discusses removing the trailers, but officials wanted clarification on whether that meant demolishing them or moving them to another location, as had been proposed.

“There’s demolition activity on-site at this time that (has) not met the requirements of the state (for an asbestos inspection), and they have not received a demolition permit from our office,” Robinson said.

Commissioners unanimously voted to have Prosecutor Pat Lefebure send a letter to Hohman rejecting the plan and asking for additional information.

County Administrator Marty Seufer said Mon Power informed him that a planned power outage in late May or early June to install equipment for the new Resiliency Center under construction would take place on a weekday rather than a weekend. Seufer said that would shut down the courts in the judicial annex and affect other facilities and businesses. Couch said he would contact a representative of the company to see if adjustments could be made.

“They need to either do it on a weekend or do it on a holiday,” Seufer said.

Evan Bevins can be reached at ebevins@newsandsentinel.com.