Beech Tree News Network

The Morgantown Utilities Commission met on Monday night, March 9, at the Eva J. Hawes building.  All members - Doug Weathers, Bobby Green, Dale Adcock and Hugh Evans - were in attendance.  Utilities Superintendent Randall Gaskey and bookkeeper Joyce Nally were also present. 

The first item on the agenda was the annual report presented by David Gilbert, of Gilbert & Gilbert P.S.C. Certified Public Accountants, and Kendall Embry of Embry & Watt, CPAs.
According to Gilbert, the financial highlights for the year ending June 30, 2014 were: total operating and non-operating (including capital contributions) totaled $2,104,398 and expenses amounted to $2,201,739 creating a decrease in net position of $97,341.  At year end, net position totaled $3,621,864 of which $2,824,679 (net of related debt) was invested in capital assets, and $152,574 was restricted for capital improvements and $39,748 was restricted for debt service.  This left a net amount of $604,845 of unrestricted assets.

CLICK HERE FOR STATMENT OF REVENUES, EXPENSES AND CHANGES IN NET POSITION: UT.pdf

According to auditor and board members, the water department does not generate enough money to cover expenses and the gas department carries the utilities.

Chairman Hugh Evans announced his resignation from the board. 
“As most of you know I recently remarried and am in the process of moving out of the city limits.  According to the by-laws I can no longer serve on the board, so I am resigning.  I have really enjoyed working with each one of you,” said Evans.
Other board members, as well as Mayor Billy Phelps and Councilman Ronald Givens, thanked Evans for his service and commitment to the city.
In other business, board member Doug Weathers asked about the purchasing of fuel for the utility trucks.  Superintendent Gaskey said the fuel is purchased at Com Fuel and that they had compared prices twice before and Com Fuel is always the cheapest.
“We pay 3 cents above wholesale, but we can get a comparison again,” said Gaskey. 
Board members agreed to get written comparisons on fuel for the next meeting.
Next, the board addressed the salaries of the board members. 
“We do not set our pay but since the city council took a reduction in pay I thought we might want to make a recommendation to the council concerning our pay,” said Dale Adcock.
The board approved a motion to make the recommendation to the city council to reduce their (Utility Board)pay by 25 percent, thus their monthly pay would be $314.02.  The motion was approved.
Dale Adcock will present the recommendation to the city council on Thursday night.
With no further business the meeting was adjourned.