§ 247-1303. 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.)