QUESTIONS RAISED — James Duke Sr. of Hooverson Heights was among residents who raised questions about a planned water rate increase at Monday’s Follansbee Council meeting. –Warren Scott

FOLLANSBEE — On Monday, the Follansbee City Council heard from a handful of residents who questioned plans to increase water rates for customers in the city’s downtown and suburbs.

Last month, the council accepted the Follansbee Water Board’s recommendation to increase the base water rate from $11.29 per 1,000 gallons to $24.21 per 1,500 gallons.

Mayor David Velegol Jr. said the city has been encouraged to increase the number of gallons on which the rate is based because most water providers base their rates on 2,000 gallons or more.

With the increase, bills for customers with an average monthly use of 3,400 gallons of water will increase from $38.39 to $54.88.

The increase is expected to occur within four months, pending approval of a second reading scheduled for the Nov. 18 council meeting. Scheduled for 6 p.m. at the City Building, it was moved from its usual date of Nov. 11 because it is Veterans Day.

Hooverson Heights resident James Duke Jr. noted that his neighborhood receives water through the city but is not within its boundaries, so he cannot vote for or against officials that affect his water bills.

At-large Councilman John Casinelli told him that in 1996 the West Virginia Public Utilities Commission ordered the city to take over the former Hooverson Heights Public Utility District as a condition of receiving state funding for the city’s water plant.

Casinelli said he then thought Hooverson Heights should be represented on the city’s water board, but it was not approved by the West Virginia Public Utilities Commission.

Mayor David Velegol Jr. said 80 percent of the water main breaks repaired by the city have occurred in the Hooverson Heights area.

Duke’s father, James Sr., told the council that many lines in the area were composed of polybutylene, a material that has been found defective, and that the city could be eligible for federal funds to replace them.

Casinelli said Ghosh Engineering staff who work with the city will be informed. But he stressed that the rate increase does not support any major improvements.

“That increase is for operation and maintenance. “It’s not to put anything in the ground or anything like that.” said.

Velegol agreed and said: “It’s not about fixing things. This is because we are in deficit.”

Third Ward Councilman Nick Cekinovich said: “They tell us this is what we have to do to be solvent.”

Water board member Al DeAngelis said the city lost about $450,000 in revenue with the closure of the Mountain State Carbon coke plant, which had been a major water customer.

He added that they have also seen a 30 percent increase in the costs of utilities and materials used in the systems’ operations.

At the Oct. 17 water board meeting, Velegol said $1.5 million had been taken from the city’s general trust funds and Urban Development Action Grant to cover water treatment system expenses. .

He said the money was used to replace the center’s water plant control system and to provide the local match required for a $2 million grant awarded by the Army Corps of Engineers for improvements to the center’s water treatment systems. city ​​center and suburbs.

Because the state expects water and wastewater treatment providers to be self-sufficient, outside funds must be repaid for the city to be eligible for such grants.

On Monday, Velegol said the Army Corps of Engineers grant will be used to upgrade water treatment systems serving downtown Follansbee and Hooverson Heights and other suburban customers.

Resident Marty Bartz is among water customers who questioned plans to establish a new water tank at McKims Ridge in Colliers.

Velegol said Ghosh Engineering proposed the tank because it will improve water pressure for some customers and its site is more easily accessible than the tank’s current location.

Casinelli told Bartz: “That’s just to feed the system. Because it will be there, seven homes can connect to it.”

Velegol said before the meeting that customers will pay for the lines on their properties.

The council also heard from Skip Cutrone, a local business owner and former council member, who noted that in 2016 the council approved, through the state’s home rule program, a 1 percent sales tax.

He noted that of the annual revenue from the tax, $150,000 would be used to pave streets, $50,000 would be used for the city’s fire station and $38,000 would be designated for general use.

Cutrone asked why the funds have not been used in recent years to pave the streets.

Cekinovich said the council has budgeted $100,000 for paving this year.

After the meeting, Velegol confirmed that these funds were used elsewhere.

He said it is not clear that the ordinance establishing the tax was linked to those allocations and that will be investigated.

But Velegol said using the revenue in other ways is justified in light of the city’s current financial constraints, which have led it to employ a very limited workforce and rely on equipment that must be replaced.

“You could pave streets (with sales tax revenue), but while you do that, you could bankrupt the city.” he said, adding, “No one is going to penalize the city because we don’t meet those assignments.”

The council also heard from resident Johnny Varlas, who complained: “Nothing is being done in this area of ​​downtown.”

Varlas said the current mayor and council have failed to complete projects planned a few years ago, including replacing non-working streetlights along Main Street, developing a municipal plaza in front of the city building and fire station renovations.

Velegol said replacing streetlights has become more expensive than expected, requiring replacing underground wiring and restoring the sidewalk above it. Funds allocated for a section of street lighting have been diverted to replace malfunctioning water meters.

The mayor said he had anticipated about $250,000 in state funding for the town square, but since that appears to have fallen through, he is seeking federal money for the project.

“There is no one in the city who wants that square more than me.” he told Varlas.

Later in the meeting, the council heard from Joe Edmiston, a freelance grant writer who works for the city, who reported that $2.7 million in federal Housing and Urban Development funds have been awarded for the fire station, while $1.5 million in state funds are pending.

Plans call for the station to be extended to the south to allow for the creation of three larger bays for fire department vehicles and a larger apron in front to provide more space for trucks to enter and exit.

Deteriorated soil prompted the project.

Edmiston noted that his annual contract is up for renewal and said that in light of the city’s financial difficulties, he has proposed a 22 percent reduction in his fees.

Also on Monday, Velegol announced that replacement of a stormwater line under Raymond Street is expected to begin in the coming weeks.

Alex Paris of Atlasburg, Pennsylvania, is the contractor for the $1.5 million project, which is expected to facilitate the flow of runoff from the hillside over the city and reduce the risk of flooding.