MORGANTOWN – The state Public Service Commission gave its OK this week for the consolidation of Cheat View Public Service District’s waterworks system into Morgantown Utility Board’s.
The two utilities filed their joint petition for the consolidation last Dec. 11 and PSC staff recommended the consolidation on Jan. 16.
Cheat View reached out to MUB after two of its longtime leaders, Glenn Staddon and Allen Colebank, died in 2023. MUB serves about 27,800 customers throughout Mon County while Cheat View serves about 4,300 Cheat Lake-area customers.
Cheat View’s system is contiguous with MUB’s, and since 2014, MUB has provided billing, meter reading and collection services to the PSD. MUB supplies treated water to Cheat View for resale to its customers.
A November asset purchase agreement between the two utilities shows that MUB will buy all of Cheat View’s assets. Cheat View has no outstanding bond-related debt.
In its Thursday order, the PSC commented, “We first take recognition of the important role Glen Staddon served as Chairman and de-facto manager/operator of Cheat View’s waterworks system. It is often difficult, if not impossible, to find a replacement for someone who has spent decades working on and managing such an important community asset. Mr. Staddon served the Cheat View community well.”
It noted that MUB does not have a rate schedule applicable to Cheat View and must adopt an ordinance to add rates for the PSD area. If it decides to raise the rates to match existing MUB rates, it must provide notice and continue the current rate until it adopts an ordinance. “Once consolidation takes place, MU6 should review the costs of this purchase and take the costs into consideration when setting rates.”
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