November 4th, 2018 by WCBC Radio
After receiving numerous and increasing complaints that included customers being required to boil water before using it; not having a licensed operator working for the utility; inconsistent billing of customers and affiliates; the utility’s phone being disconnected; payroll checks to staff being declined for insufficient funds; failure to collect the ordered repayment for improper affiliate transfers of cash; failure to satisfy multiple years of federal and state tax liabilities; and the utility not paying its bills, including to Canaan Valley Public Service District (CVPSD) for sewage treatment, the Public Service Commission has taken significant steps to attempt to restore Timberline Four Season Utilities to a safe, adequate and reliable service.
The Commission initiated a General Investigation into the practices of Timberline Utilities on August 17, 2018 to determine whether the Company should be placed into receivership. At a October 23, 2018 Commission hearing, the parties entered into a Settlement Agreement requiring Timberline Utilities to turn over its bank routing numbers to CVPSD and authorizing CVPSD periodically to sweep funds from the Timberline Utilities sewer accounts until the outstanding debt to CVPSD is satisfied. The Commission has stressed that no cross-utility subsidization should occur.
The Commission also directed Timberline Utilities to hire a Class 2 Operator to operate the Timberline water system The Commission is dispatching a financial analyst and an engineer to Timberline Utilities in order to review additional financial information and assess the physical system.
The Commission will hold a hearing on this matter in the Pine Room, Canaan Valley Resort & Conference Center, Route 32 North, Canaan Valley State Park, Davis, West Virginia, at 9:30 am on December 13, 2018. If necessary, the hearing will continue on December 14.
Timberline Four Seasons Utilities serves approximately 743 sewer customers and 428 water customers in Tucker County. More information is available on the PSC website: www.psc.state.wv.us by referencing Case No. 18-0674-WS-C.
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