PSD reverses October billing, payroll decisions

Geoff Hamill
Staff Writer

The Pocahontas County Service District (PSD) conducted a special meeting on November 9 to undo two actions made at its previous regular meeting on October 27.

The PSD rescinded a vote to move sewage billing to the Linwood office and also rescinded a decision to use the water account to pay 90 percent of PSD general manager Rick Barkley’s salary.

The reversals came as a result of a November 4 email from Public Services Commission (PSC) utilities analyst Bonnie Boston, who recently reviewed billing and payroll operations at the PSD.

Boston’s email states in part,

“I plan to write a letter summarizing our discussions and staff recommendations based on my review, and hope to have that letter to you by next week. Until then, I recommend that you continue to operate Pocahontas County PSD (Water and Sewer) as usual, and wait until you have a chance to consider my recommendations before implementing any changes related to billing, collecting, or financial issues, including payroll allocations.”

After complaints from Snowshoe customers, the PSD voted on October 27 to move sewage billing to its Linwood office. The customers complained that billing in Durbin was inconvenient and didn’t make sense because the Linwood office is much closer to the PSD’s sewage customers

As a result of Tuesday’s vote, the PSD will continue to do sewage billing at its Durbin office.

The PSD also rescinded a decision to take 90 percent of general manager Rick Barkley’s salary from the water account and 10 percent from the sewer account. A 50/50 split will be maintained until the PSD has received Boston’s recommendations.

Snowshoe customers had complained that it was unfair to take half of Barkley’s pay from the sewage account when the general manager/water plant manager spends the great majority of his time in Durbin.

The next regular meeting of the PSD is scheduled for November 24, 7 p.m. at the Durbin water works building on Back Mountain Road.