EAST LIVERPOOL — City council has dissolved the East Liverpool Board of Public Utilities.

Following multiple discussions over the course of several committee meetings, council as a whole Monday voted unanimously to pass legislation dissolving the board.

Council members voted all in favor of repealing the 2023 ordinance to establish the Board of Public Utilities (BPU), which required the board to be established with three members appointed by the mayor and then voted on the legislation to dissolve the board.

The ordinance dissolving the BPU assigns the duties relating to the management and operation of the waterworks and sewage disposal plant and system to the director of public service-safety.

Due to not being able to maintain board members, the BPU has been inactive for some time, which has led to projects being stalled because decisions were not able to be made regarding them due to the lack of board members, according to previous comments from Utilities Manager Tim Clark, a former board member. Clark noted there were some things he could handle, but items requiring a vote from the board were at a standstill.

Council members agreed that appointing board members would take time, and with some matters requiring immediate action, there wouldn’t be time to get a new board in place, so the recommendation was made to dissolve the board.

Mayor Bobby Smith told council members Monday that nobody wants to see the BPU go away, and in time — maybe a year or two down the road once all the issues are resolved — council can vote to reestablish the BPU.

Clark, who is considering retirement, will remain on for now as the utilities manager.

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