Water director advertisement to begin next week
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WEIRTON -- The Weirton Area Water Board will begin advertising in the coming days as part of its search for a new water director.
The Water Board, during its meeting Thursday, discussed several aspects of the search, being organized as a result of the upcoming retirement of Utilities Director A.D. "Butch" Mastrantoni. Members agreed to advertise for the position, beginning next week, but held off on any decisions on naming an interim director or the establishment of a selection committee.
Board member Rocky Bragg recused himself from the discussion of all three agenda items and left the room, citing a potential personal interest.
The Water Board has held two special meetings in recent weeks, establishing a proposed salary range for the job between $85,000 and $95,000, as well as a job description and wording for the advertisement.
"We’ve gotten everything ready," Mastrantoni told the board Thursday.
The board was informed advertisements would be published in The Weirton Daily Times, Herald-Star and the Intelligencer three times, with details also posted online through both cityofweirton.com and weirtonutilities.com, as well as the websites of West Virginia Rural Water and the American Water Works Association.
The possibility of establishing the selection committee was tabled after the board couldn’t reach a consensus on its possible membership.
Board Chairman Jim Shockley said he felt it would be better to have the board’s two newest members -- Joe Paolo and Bob Kolanko -- serve on the committee, providing an initial screening of the applications and creating a "short list" of recommendations.
"I was trying to make it as independent as I can," Shockley said, noting it may be more palatable to the public to have the two individuals in the role, given their short length of time on the board. "It’s an important position."
Board member Ronnie Jones, though, felt all members of the board should be involved in the process.
"I think we all ought to sit on it," Jones said, citing his own experience in selecting directors in his roles on boards for Weirton Parks and the Hancock County Health Department.
Legal counsel Dan Guida suggested it would be better to wait until applications for the job are submitted, saying whether a short list is needed would depend on how many applications are received.
Mastrantoni announced his plans for retirement during a special Water Board meeting Aug. 26, after more than 35 years heading up Weirton’s utilities operations.
His final day will be Oct. 16.
As part of the process, both the Water Board and Weirton Sanitary Board have indicated plans to hire separate directors, instead of one individual to oversee both operations.