By Steve Pendleton
The Wardensville Town Council convened in regular session on Monday, January 12, 2026, at the Visitor’s Center. Present were Mayor Besty Orndoff-Sayers; Council members Charlotte Bowman, Serena Kay Cline, Michael Funkhouser, Ed Klinovski,; Erich Atkinson, Public Works Supervisor; Connie Miller, office staff.
The meeting opened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance.
Council approved the minutes from the meeting of December 8, 2025 and the payment of bills.
Public Hearing – Ordinance 25-03
A second hearing was held on the proposal to make Oak Street one way. Several citizens were present for the discussion. Turning the street into a one-way passage starting from Carpenter Drive will improve traffic flow and eliminate a hazardous turn from Trout Run Road. Those in attendance did not voice concerns with the change in traffic flow. The Volunteer Rescue Squad can use Willow Lane, Laurel Street, and Carpenter Avenue to access Main Street going east instead of traveling west on Oak. Council voted to pass the second reading of the ordinance.
Boil Water Notice
Mayor Betsy Orndoff-Sayer, council members, and staff addressed the issue that is on everyone’s mind, namely the permanent boil water notice issued by the State Department of Public Health (WVDPH) on December 24th. The mayor received an email from the town’s attorney advising her that the state directed the town to immediately issue a notice to all water customers advising them that water should be boiled until further notice. That is when new system is online and a backup tank has been installed. This was the last thing Orndoff -Sayer wanted to do on Christmas Eve but there was no choice. The order was signed by Jason Frame, director Environmental Health Services. The town is appealing the boil water notice.
From the time the West Virginia Division of Highways (WVDH) announced plans to build Corridor H near Wardensville, the town has been concerned about potential damage to its water system by blasting and construction. WVDH told Orndoff-Sayers that if that were to occur, the state would not be liable, meaning the town would be on its own to repair damages. Small towns like Wardensville do not have the money to engage state government in a legal battle. WVDH also refused to build or assist in building a needed back up well. This is a brand-new water and sewage system that Wardensville has needed and planned for years. The mayor, staff, and council have devoted an enormous amount of time to making this happen. The town has invested a lot of money in addition to securing millions of dollars in grants to pay for the project. However, recently, WVDH changed its previous position and now has agreed to spend $930,000 to drill a backup well for the town. WVDH also stated that it will monitor the well to ensure proper functioning during Corridor H construction and six years after the highway opens.
The backup well is a critical piece of the project. The town needed a new water source or filtration plant. Pat Murphy with the compliance division of WVDPH said that a new filtration plant must be built that produces 250 gallons of water per minute. The old (current) system puts out 190 gallons of water per minute. According to Murphy, even with a filtration system, the boil water advisory would not be lifted until the backup well is in place. That may be finished by late spring.
In explaining the details of this chaos, Orndoff-Sayer stated that the water is as safe as it ever has been. She, the council members and staff have continued to drink non-boiled water. This reporter has drunk the water as have many town residents. No one has become ill. The boil notice appears to be a bureaucratic statement that WVDPH continues to stand by without a clear, sound legal basis or policy backed reasoning. Residents who attended the hearing, while equally frustrated, understand that it is a complicated issue which the town is doing its best to resolve. Much of their annoyance is directed at the state which seems to be playing hard ball. A couple of people are spending money on bottled water instead of boiling it. One resident who has a child with a sensitive skin condition is afraid to bathe her without boiling water. See the Mayor’s Report for more information.
Mayor’s Report
I received an email message from our attorney on Christmas eve that the town was to go on a permanent boil water notice immediately. A message went out to our customers stating that the reason for the boil water notice was because we had not finished our water project within 18 months.
Erich and I made a call to Daniel Wheeler at the Bureau of Public Health back in November asking if the Hardy County PSD had to share our water violation notices with their resale customers in the Wardensville area. Daniel stated that he wasn’t sure and would need to check. He then proceeded to tell us we were supposed to have been on a permanent boil water since 2021 because of our project’s GWUDI ( Groundwater Under the Direct Influence of Surface Water) status. We explained that we were told that the 18-month time frame was a guideline and that our new well/system would be coming online in January. He stated that it did not matter and we were to issue the boil water notice. We asked for a letter from him that we could give to our customers explaining the reason behind the notice. We did not receive a letter. We received a template for the boil water notice.
A call was made to our attorney Jim Kelsh. He wrote a letter on our behalf asking that the boil water notice to not be imposed. Our attorney received notice that we had to issue a boil water notice on 12/24/2025. Town Hall was closed on 12/24. I saw the email that evening and made the announcement via CallFire.
The boil water is a precautionary warning. Precautionary is the term used by the folks from the Bureau of Public Health. We were told that the boil water notice would be in effect until the back-up well had been drilled and brought online. We issued a statement to the public on Facebook on December 31, 2025, explaining what happened, testing results and what we are currently doing.
Chris Miller finished installing an electrical conduit around the courts at the park. Our next step is to select the light fixture and pole style. J&K Landscaping have finished with the river rock and mulch installation. Alex Yeater and the Boy Scouts have begun installing the edging around the STEM structure and the Buddy Bench near the climbing structure at the park.
Barb Hughes with WV Grants has submitted our quarterly report for our FEMA generator grant and the parking lot grant. Anderson Roofing has almost finished replacing the Community Center roof. Class II legal ads have been placed with the Moorefield Examiner for the for the pool demo and pool house renovation ads.
Jackie McGinnis has signed a contract with the town for bank reconciliation services.
We have a Municipal Election coming up in May. Two council seats and the mayor’s seat are up for election. The filing period runs from January 12 to 31st. There is a $5.00 filing fee.
Public Works Report
Mr. Atkinson stated that the new water plant produces enough water to qualify for a filtration system. The wells struck water at 220 feet. The old wells were 600 feet deep.
Unfinished Business
Council passed Resolutions 2026-01 and 2026-02 to draw down reimbursements for the new water and sewage treatment system. Wardensville is working on a second follow-up report to the Appalachian Regional Commission relating to a $50,000 grant the agency awarded to the town. It is part of a tedious process to ultimately receive funding. Funding comes from the American Recovery Act. The roof on the Community Center is complete. Three contractors are interested in building a parking lot as part of the Oak Street one-way proposal.
New Business
The Community Center and Cafeteria Annex were inspected for termite damage. Evidence of infestation was found in several places at the community center. The estimate to repair the damage is $5,600. Less damage was detected at the cafeteria annex leading to an assessment of $2,500 for remediation.
Announcements
A Girl Scout cookie sale is set for Sunday, February 8th from noon to 3:00 p.m. at the Community Center, ballfield side.
At the conclusion of regular business, the Council entered into an executive session. The meeting was adjourned following the session. The next meeting of the Wardensville Town Council is scheduled for Monday, February 9, 2026, in the Visitors Center beginning at 6:30 p.m.
