PLEASE NOTE: On May 3, 2007, Governor Bredesen signed Public Chapter 86 that transfers the authority for the Utility Management Review Board (UMRB) and the Water and Wastewater Financing Board (WWFB) from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation to the Comptroller of the Treasury. All correspondence relating to the UMRB and/or the WWFB should be directed to Ms. Joyce Welborn, Office of the Comptroller of the Treasury, Division of Local Finance, Suite 1700, 505 Deaderick Street, Nashville TN 37243-0274. Ms. Welborn can be contacted at (615) 401-7864, Fax (615) 532-5232, or e-mail at Joyce.Welborn@state.tn.us

.

Board Responsibilities: The Utility Management Review Board was originally created pursuant to Public Chapter 422 of 1987, later codified in Tennessee Code Annotated Sections 7-82-701 et seq., “for the purpose of advising utility district boards of commissioners in the area of utility management.” The legislation further stated “the Board shall be deemed to be acting for the public welfare and in furtherance of the general assembly's intent that utility districts be operated as self-sufficient enterprises.” While most of the Board’s responsibilities relate to providing assistance to utility districts located throughout the State of Tennessee, the Board also provides certain assistance to municipal water systems. Among the Board’s statutory responsibilities are the following:

1. To assist in developing a plan to solve a financially distressed condition.
2. To review and comment on petitions for creation and amendment of utility districts.
3. To serve as an appeals board for complaints from utility district customers that a district is not following its own policies.
4. To recommend for Utility Relocation Loans pursuant to Tennessee Code Annotated Section 67-3-901(j) certain utility providers required to relocate utility lines due to road construction by the Tennessee Department of Transportation.
5. To assist in establishing training requirements for utility district commissioners.
6. To assist in establishing ethical standards for utility districts.

Board Characteristics: Nine members: seven appointed by the Governor for four-year terms and two ex officio. The terms of no more than two board members are to expire in the same year. Four shall be experienced utility district managers and three shall be experienced utility district commissioners. The Commissioner of Environment and Conservation and the Comptroller of the Treasury or their designees serve as ex officio members.