KINGWOOD — A member of the board of directors of Preston County Public Service District 1 has reached an agreement with the State Ethics Commission on a nepotism complaint.
Mike “Spike” Adams paid a $500 fine and completed a training session on the Ethics Act, according to the commission. The agreement was approved Oct. 3.
According to the ethics commission, Adams was guilty of, “deliberating and voting at three meetings on issues that benefited PSD employees, including his son.”
Adams said that he wasn’t aware of voting prohibitions in the Ethics Act. “Adams acknowledges that ignorance of the law is not a defense, and he has fully cooperated with the Ethics Commission staff,” the commission wrote in the agreement.
Adams said he has no further comment at this time.
The conciliation agreement says that Adams’ son worked for PSD 1 from April 2012 to July 2019. The agreement says that:
At a regular PSD 1 board meeting on Nov. 29, 2016, the board unanimously approved, “an incentive pay policy proposal that benefited PSD employees,” including Adams’ son. Adams participated in the discussion and vote.
On Jan. 23, 2018, at a regular meeting, the board voted unanimously to increase the pay of three PSD 1 employees, including Adams’ son, to, “rates comparable to the average rates of those holding similar positions in the United States.” Adams participated in the deliberation and vote.
On June 19, 2018, the PSD 1 board voted unanimously to realign the duties of the former chief operator between two employees. Adams’ son, a water operator, was given plant operator duties. No salary increases were given with the new duties. Adams participated in the discussion and vote.
Adams has been involved with the district for 25 years.
A lawsuit filed in Preston Circuit Court in January by a former PSD 1 employee, John Keener, also alleges nepotism by Adams.
The lawsuit is scheduled to go to trial sometime in 2020, according to information at the court.
