§ 1303. Water commissioners and water works
(a) The Village shall have three water commissioners who may be elected by ballot if the
Village has so ordered; otherwise they shall be appointed by the trustees. Of those
commissioners first elected or appointed, one shall have a term of one year, one a
term of two years, and one a term of three years.
(b) The trustees may remove from office a commissioner appointed by them for just cause
after due notice and hearing. The trustees may appoint members of their own Board
to serve as water commissioners. The Village shall have such powers, and the commissioners
shall have such duties, with reference to any waterworks that are in existence or
established as set forth in 24 V.S.A. chapter 89, or any amendments thereto.
(c) Without limiting the generality of subsections (a) and (b) of this section, commissioners
shall have the supervision of the Municipal Water Department and shall make and establish
all needful water rates, rules, and regulations for its control and operation.
(d) The water commissioners shall hire a person to superintend the physical operation
of the water system, provide him or her with written guidelines of the Superintendent’s
duties, and this Superintendent shall be responsible for the proper and efficient
maintenance of the system in accordance with the guidelines.
(e) The Superintendent shall report once each month to the water commissioners and once
each year shall make a written report to them. The written report shall be included
in the water commissioners annual report to the Village.
(f) The books and bank accounts of the water system shall be kept separate from the other
books and accounts of the Village. The rents and receipts for the use of municipal
water shall only be used and applied to pay the interest upon the Water Department
bonds, the expense of repairs, improvements, and management of the Water Department,
and in payment of the Municipal Water Department bonds. The money received from the
operation of the Municipal Water Department shall not be used for any other purposes
until all bonds, notes, or other certificates of indebtedness have been paid.
(g) Any improvements to the system costing more than $7,000.00 shall require the approval
of a majority of the legally qualified voters of the Village present and voting, at
either an annual or special meeting called for that purpose.
(h) From the income of the system an emergency fund, not to exceed $10,000.00, may be
created by the water commissioners. Emergency funds shall be expended only in case
of an emergency and the nature of the emergency recorded by the Clerk as declared
by the water commissioners.
(i) Any extension of the main lines of the system as the lines exist on the effective
day of this charter shall require a two-thirds vote of the qualified voters, present
and voting, of the Village of Newbury at either an annual or special meeting called
for that purpose. (Amended 2007, No. M-6.)