MUB opening leaves utility without non-city representative, at least temporarily
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MORGANTOWN - For the last decade, Cheat Lake area resident Tom Witt has been the lone member of the Morgantown Utility Board that is not a resident of Morgantown.
This despite the fact that two-thirds of the utility's customers and the overwhelming majority of its major projects fall outside the city's boundaries.
Witt participated in his final MUB meeting on Oct. 13, during which he reiterated his desire to see his seat on the five-member board filled by someone who is not a city resident.
"I leave the board not knowing who my successor will be. I hope the Morgantown City Council selects a member from outside the city who has experience and expertise complementing the current board members," Witt said. “This is a very critical appointment, but thus far I've seen very little publicity regarding the solicitation of prospective candidates."
Witt announced in June that he would not seek reappointment. His departure marks a near complete turnover of the body since MUB and the city butted heads in 2022 over proposed changes to Morgantown City Code Article 169, which governs the utility board.
Among the city-proposed changes were the reservation of one of MUB's five board seats for a member of city council and placement of the city manager on the board as a non-voting member.
MUB was adamantly opposed to the changes.
And while the controversial amendments to Article 169 never ultimately moved forward, Morgantown City Council already had the authority to appoint whomever it wanted to MUB.
City code states only that each member be a residential customer of MUB with "outstanding reputation, ability and integrity," and that no more than two members can reside outside city limits. There is no requirement that the body have any representatives from outside the city.
Immediately following the Article 169 dustup, Morgantown City Council opted not to reappoint 22-year member J.T. Straface, who was replaced with then 6th Ward City Councilor Dave Harshbarger. Current 6th Ward Councilor Mark Downs currently has that seat.
Earlier this year, 17-year MUB member Barbara Parsons wasn't asked to interview despite applying for reappointment. Richard Brooks was appointed to the seat.
Current Board Chair Erik Carlson, who was appointed in 2021, will be the longest-serving member when Witt's term concludes at the end of the month.
The city currently has the MUB opening listed for applicants. It's not known exactly when council will make the appointment.
What is known, given MUB’s critical role in development, is that the county is paying attention.
In June, Monongalia County Commission President Tom Bloom told The Dominion Post that he believes the county commission should be able to appoint members to the utility board, or, at the very least, recommend appointments from outside the city.
In other MUB news, the utility board has awarded contracts for sanitary sewer extension projects serving a pair of developments.
The first awarded to Parrotta Paving for $309,954.50 will connect 80 townhomes on Canyon Road in the Highlands of Cheat Lake development. The work includes the construction of 1,614 linear feet of eight-inch gravity sewer line, one doghouse manhole, one drop manhole, 12 standard manholes and 80 service connections.
The second, awarded to Anderson Excavating for $299,523, is for the Woodside Ridge Development located off River Road, behind Skyview Elementary and Westwood Middle schools.
According to MUB General Manager Mike McNulty, the project will serve 35 proposed single-family homes and includes 2,112 feet of eight-inch gravity sewer main, two doghouse manholes and 15 standard manholes.
Lastly, the board completed McNulty's annual performance review and voted to provide a 3% cost-of-living adjustment, bringing the general manager's annual salary to $208,683.15.
"We've completely reviewed his annual report and it was outstanding," Witt said. "We hope that he continues to do outstanding work for the future."
McNulty became the first general manager hired from outside the organization when he replaced Tim Ball in January 2021.