MORGANTOWN — After 22 years on the board of directors for the Morgantown Utility Board, J.T. Straface will not be reappointed.
The announcement comes 24 hours after the second joint session of Morgantown City Council and the utility’s board of directors to discuss proposed changes to Article 169 of city code, which govern the utility board.
MUB held a meeting Thursday evening at the Christian Missionary Alliance Church for the purpose of rolling out the findings of its months-long flood control study in a Suncrest neighborhood hit hard by the flooding events in June and July of 2021.
And for about two hours that’s what happened.
Then Straface, the chairman of the utility’s board of directors for the last decade, closed the meeting with a prepared statement in which he expressed his gratitude to the MUB staff and board members he’s worked with over the years.
He said he’s proud of the strides the utility has made in that time.
“I’m also smart enough to know I am, was, a small part of this organization, but I do take great pride in my leadership role in the success stories. There have been many … All designed, number one, for the health and safety of our rate payers, but also for the future growth of this community. MUB has not stood idle on my watch,” Straface said, later adding “However, with all this success and foresight, it has been determined that my leadership and efforts are no longer valued by the Morgantown City Council. I will not be reappointed to this board.”
The changes to Article 169, which were tabled by city council on Oct. 4 after significant pushback from MUB, include reserving one of the utility’s five board seats for a member of city council.
Morgantown Mayor Jenny Selin said that’s what’s going to happen.
“We informed him that we were going to be appointing a city council person,” Selin said following Thursday’s meeting. “His seat just happens to be the one that’s up.”
Selin didn’t say which member of council would fill the seat.
“There’s a particular person who’s likely to be appointed, but we need to discuss it and appoint them,” she said.
MUB member Erik Carlson said he’s been impressed with Straface’s leadership on the Article 169 issue “despite the fact that throughout this process, with you being the next person up for reappointment, the specter of that was looming.”
MUB member Barbara Parsons said the board will sorely miss Straface’s leadership.
“I leave this organization in great hands with this present board and this staff, but more importantly, the individuals who make MUB work every day; the office personnel, customer service, engineers and field staff who are out there every day in this community making this system work,” Straface said.
