Attorney tells Cabell County commissioners Pea Ridge wastewater plant is now under county jurisdiction

An attorney for the Pea Ridge Public Service District told the Cabell County Commission on Sept. 24 that the Pea Ridge wastewater plant is over capacity and now falls under county jurisdiction.

Ron Flora, speaking for the Pea Ridge PSD project, said recent legislative changes move jurisdiction to the county when sewer services exceed 30 million. "The Wastewater Plant is over capacity and ... it is now in Cabell County Commission’s jurisdiction," Flora said, and added the meeting constitutes the first 30-day notice to the public, with a follow-up notice to be mailed to homes.

The commission did not take immediate action at the meeting; Flora said the first notice requirement was being met by that day's session and that a separate notice would be sent to residents. Commissioners did not announce a timeline for follow-up hearings or specific remedial steps during the meeting.

Why it matters: a jurisdictional shift can affect which public body reviews permits, approves improvements, and oversees operations and financing for wastewater infrastructure. Commissioners placed various Pea Ridge PSD reports and financial records on the public record during the meeting, including ledger and manager's reports that the commission recorded as part of routine documentation.

Next steps: the commission said it will review submitted documents and treat the meeting as the first public notice in the 30-day process described by Flora. No formal vote or directive regarding operational control was recorded in the minutes.