FOIA Request Seeks Details on Legal Services for Weirton Utility Boards
On February 13, 2026, Bloodhound Media submitted a formal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to both the Weirton Sanitary Board (WSB) and the Weirton Area Water Board (WAWB). The inquiry sought to clarify the professional and financial relationship between these public entities and legal counsel Daniel Guida and Guida Law Offices, PPLC.
Scope of the Request
The request was designed to pull back the curtain on how legal services are structured and compensated within Weirton’s utility boards. Specifically, Bloodhound Media requested the following:
WAWB Request Form Discrepancy
While preparing the request, Bloodhound Media identified a discrepancy on the FOIA Request Form available on the WSB and WAWB’s shared website (weirtonutilities.com). The submission instructions list the email address lveltri@weirtonutilities.com, however the embedded hyperlink directs users to veltri@weirtonutilities.com, omitting the leading “l.” The discrepancy may create confusion for members of the public attempting to submit records requests electronically.
UPDATE: The discrepancy has been corrected since the original publication of this article.
FOIA Request Response
On February 23, 2026, a response to the request was received from Thomas J. Decapio of Frankovitch, Anetakis, Simon, Decapio & Pearl, LLP. The response included records addressing each portion of the request with the exception of documentation establishing a reporting structure for legal counsel. According to the response, “no public records exist”.
Mr. Decapio additionally advised that the WSB maintains a FOIA request form that should be used for future submissions. A copy of that form was included with the response and listed connie@weirtonutilities.com as the designated email address for submission.
Statutory Context
Under the West Virginia Freedom of Information Act, specifically W. Va. Code §29B-1-3(d), a records request must “state with reasonable specificity the information sought”. The statute does not require the public to complete an agency-specific form in order to submit a valid request. Such forms are generally used by agencies as an administrative convenience rather than a legal prerequisite for access to public records.
