September 16, 2011 |
, journal-news.net CHARLES TOWN - The Jefferson County Commission again discussed the role of the county's all-volunteer Water Advisory Committee at its meeting Thursday morning in Charles Town. There have been several discussions on the matter since the start of this year. The WAC was re-formed several years ago to address problems and concerns regarding water issues in Jefferson County. Members are appointed to the WAC by the Jefferson County Commission, and the committee does not receive regular funding from the commission. The WAC has received several grants and been involved in organizing initiatives such as last year's hazardous waste pickup and a prescription drug dropoff event, both of which potentially stopped unsafe materials from being flushed and entering the water supply, according to the WAC. Commissioner Walt Pellish asked to have this WAC discussion placed on the commission's agenda because, as he previously has stated, he feels the committee has become more activist than advisory in nature and that it might be better off not being associated with the Jefferson County Commission. "It's my belief from what I have seen with the (WAC) over the past several months that they are off on their own doing a lot of things that do not accurately represent the citizens of Jefferson County," Pellish said. "I think the (WAC) has served its purpose as it was originally outlined several years ago to deal with the issue of the drought and to study whether or not there was adequate water in the county." Pellish added that he was displeased with the WAC for presenting a water study report funded by the commission at Shepherd University before commissioners saw it. The report concluded that, while the county's water is in relatively good condition, swimming in it or eating fish from rivers or streams in Jefferson County could potentially cause illness. Commissioner Dale Manuel also said he took issue with the health and safety issues raised by the report because he had never heard of anyone becoming sick after being in the county's water or eating a locally caught fish. However, Manuel added that he was not prepared to vote to disband the WAC. The WAC has not been doing work on its own, and there has been a commissioner serving as a liaison to the committee since it was formed, said Commissioner Lyn Widmyer. "If they have gone and strayed off on their own, it's this commission's fault," she said. Commissioner Patsy Noland said she has heard complaints from county residents who feel the WAC is not acting in the best interest of citizens and businesses. A motion to remove the WAC from under the authority of the County Commission was defeated in a 3-2 vote, with Commissioners Frances Morgan, Widmyer and Manuel voting against the motion and Commissioners Noland and Pellish voting for the motion. A second motion, which would have asked the WAC to come back to the commission with a work plan and that would have re-evaluated the WAC's purpose, also was defeated in a 3-2 vote, with Commissioners Noland, Morgan and Pellish voting against the motion and Commissioners Widmyer and Manuel voting in favor. The WAC will continue to function as it has been because the two motions were both defeated. "If it ain't broke, you don't need to fix it," Morgan said after the meeting regarding her vote on the second motion. "I didn't feel that it was necessary to bring these professionals back in here and have them spend more time, I think they're doing just fine the way they are." Several members of the WAC who were present at the meeting said they were glad the commission voted the way it did and that they will continue to work to address water issues in the county. |
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