CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Kanawha County officials approved two-thirds of a utility merger Thursday night with the joining of the Chelyan and Upper Kanawha Valley public service districts.

Kanawha County Commission President Kent Carper and Commissioner Dave Hardy have been pushing for a merger of the sewer systems in Pratt, Chelyan and the Upper Kanawha Valley for two years, but the merger has been held up by in-fighting and perpetual foot-dragging by officials in Pratt.

Recently elected Pratt Mayor Gary Fields -- with more than a little prodding from county officials, the state Department of Environmental Protection and state Public Service Commission -- finally got town officials to agree to the merger this summer, but paperwork delays have held up completing the deal. Pratt Town Council approved a rate increase request to go to the Public Service Commission earlier this week as part of the groundwork for the merger.

Carper, Hardy and County Commissioner Hoppy Shores approved the other two parts of the merger at a regular meeting Thursday when they gave the OK for a petition to merge Chelyan and the Upper Kanawha Valley public service districts. David Howell, president of the Chelyan PSD's governing board, said plans are to bring communities in Kelly's Creek and Lens Creek into the district once the merger is complete.

Also Thursday, members of the Kanawha County Emergency Ambulance Authority surprised Carper with a lifetime achievement award. Carper, a former public safety director and amateur radio operator, has been instrumental in improving emergency services in Kanawha County.

Friends and family of former Cedar Grove Fire Chief John Smoot also presented Carper, Shores and Hardy with ceremonial leather fire helmets for the county commission's support of emergency services on Thursday. Smoot's son said his father had wanted to do something special for the commissioners before he died last year.

John Smoot was chief of the Cedar Grove Volunteer Fire Department for 47 years.

@tag:Reach Rusty Marks at rustyma...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-1215.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Kanawha County officials approved two-thirds of a utility merger Thursday night with the joining of the Chelyan and Upper Kanawha Valley public service districts.

Kanawha County Commission President Kent Carper and Commissioner Dave Hardy have been pushing for a merger of the sewer systems in Pratt, Chelyan and the Upper Kanawha Valley for two years, but the merger has been held up by in-fighting and perpetual foot-dragging by officials in Pratt.

Recently elected Pratt Mayor Gary Fields -- with more than a little prodding from county officials, the state Department of Environmental Protection and state Public Service Commission -- finally got town officials to agree to the merger this summer, but paperwork delays have held up completing the deal. Pratt Town Council approved a rate increase request to go to the Public Service Commission earlier this week as part of the groundwork for the merger.

Carper, Hardy and County Commissioner Hoppy Shores approved the other two parts of the merger at a regular meeting Thursday when they gave the OK for a petition to merge Chelyan and the Upper Kanawha Valley public service districts. David Howell, president of the Chelyan PSD's governing board, said plans are to bring communities in Kelly's Creek and Lens Creek into the district once the merger is complete.

Also Thursday, members of the Kanawha County Emergency Ambulance Authority surprised Carper with a lifetime achievement award. Carper, a former public safety director and amateur radio operator, has been instrumental in improving emergency services in Kanawha County.

Friends and family of former Cedar Grove Fire Chief John Smoot also presented Carper, Shores and Hardy with ceremonial leather fire helmets for the county commission's support of emergency services on Thursday. Smoot's son said his father had wanted to do something special for the commissioners before he died last year.

John Smoot was chief of the Cedar Grove Volunteer Fire Department for 47 years.

@tag:Reach Rusty Marks at rustyma...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-1215.