§ 3343. Organizational meeting
(a) Within 60 days after the Secretary of State notifies the clerks of the member towns
that the requirements of section 3342 of this title have been met, the voters in the consolidated water district shall meet and organize
the district. The meeting shall be warned by the chair of the legislative body of
each town of the district or by a member designated by his or her respective board
to act in the chair’s stead. The warning shall state the day, hour, and place within
the district where the meeting will be held and shall be posted in not less than six
public places in the district, including at least two public places within each member
town, and shall be published three times in a newspaper circulating in the district,
the last publication to be at least six days previous to the day of the meeting. The
meeting shall be called to order by the clerk of the town in which the meeting is
held, at which time a temporary presiding officer and clerk shall be elected from
among the qualified voters. At such organizational meeting or an adjournment of the
meeting, the district shall elect a moderator and a permanent clerk; shall determine
the number of water commissioners constituting the board of water commissioners; and
shall elect a board of water commissioners, who shall be the legislative branch, a
treasurer, and three auditors. All officers elected at the organizational meeting
shall hold office until others are elected and qualified following the first annual
meeting. The selectboard of each town may appoint an alternative water commissioner
for each commissioner elected from that town, whose duty shall be to serve in place
of the elected commissioner if the latter is unable to serve, resigns, or is unable
to proceed in office. The total number of water commissioners and the member from
each member town may be agreed upon by the several member towns in advance of the
organizational meeting. In the absence of such agreement, the number shall be set
by the organizational meeting at not less than three nor more than 11 commissioners,
including at least one from each member town. Changes in the total number of commissioners
may be made at any annual meeting of the district duly warned for that purpose by
vote of two-thirds of those present and voting; except that it shall always include
at least one from each member town. Water commissioners elected at the organizational
meeting shall be elected from nominations made by the several towns at their most
recent annual or special meeting, if such nominations have been made. Water commissioners
to serve on the board of water commissioners of the consolidated district following
the first annual meeting shall be elected by the member towns at their own annual
or special meetings. Such elections shall be by Australian ballot in those member
towns that elect their respective legislative branches by Australian ballot. All other
consolidated water district officers shall be elected by the consolidated district.
When there is only one nominee for any of the offices, the voters may, by acclamation,
instruct an officer to elect that nominee by casting one ballot, and upon the ballot
being cast the nominee shall be declared to be legally elected.
(b) At such organizational meeting or at an adjournment of the meeting, the district may
further authorize its board of water commissioners to pay any expense incurred by
or on behalf of the district in the period between the date on which the member towns
voted to join the district and the first annual meeting of the district. The word
“expense” as used in this chapter shall include the cost of architects, surveyors,
engineers, contractors, lawyers, or other consultants or experts as well as current
operating expenses to be incurred by the district from its organizational meeting
until its first annual meeting. The district may authorize its board of water commissioners
to borrow money pending receipt of payments from the member towns as provided in this
chapter by the issuance of its notes or orders payable not later than one year from
the date. At the organizational meeting, the district shall further select a name
for the district, determine compensation, if any, to be paid to its officers, determine
the date on which its annual meeting shall be held, (which shall not be earlier than
October 1 or later than December 31), and adopt a seal. A certified copy of the vote
designating the name of the consolidated water district shall be forthwith filed by
the clerk of the district with the Secretary of State.
(c) All district officers elected at an annual meeting and water commissioners elected
by their constituent towns shall enter upon their duties on April 1 following their
election, unless a different date is set at an annual meeting. A vacancy occurring
in any district office other than commissioner caused by death, resignation, removal
from the district, or incapacity of an officer to carry his or her duties, shall be
temporarily filled by the board of water commissioners with a person from the municipality
from which the vacancy occurs within 10 days after the vacancy occurs and until the
date when the newly elected officers take office. The vacancy shall be filled at the
next annual meeting of the district. The term of office of the water commissioners
and the auditors shall be three years and all other officers one year. At the first
annual meeting, the terms of office of the commissioners shall be divided by agreement.
If possible by lot, if not, with one-third expiring after one year, and one-third
expiring after two years, or as nearly as may be. At said first annual meeting, one
auditor shall be elected for one year, and one auditor for two years, and thereafter
for three years or until their successors are chosen and qualified.
(d) The fiscal year of a consolidated water district shall be the calendar year. If the
change in the date of an annual meeting is to be made, a notice of the proposed change
shall be inserted in the warning of the annual meeting. (Added 1964, No. 20 (Sp. Sess.), § 3, eff. March 10, 1964; amended 1967, No. 209, § 3, eff. April 17, 1967; 2019, No. 131 (Adj. Sess.), § 262.)