Title 24, Title 24: Municipal and County Government

§ 3271. Monitoring; compliance; underwriting criteria The Department of Public Service created under 30 V.S.A. § 1 shall monitor and evaluate, for compliance with the underwriting criteria, standards, and procedures established under subsections 3262(a) (underwriting criteria for…

§ 3301. Water supply; construction; condemnation; exceptions A municipal corporation is hereby authorized and empowered to construct, maintain, and repair an artesian well, reservoir or reservoirs, pumps, engines, and apparatus; take, purchase, and acquire any artesian wells, pon…

§ 3302. Entry on lands For the purposes enumerated in section 3301 of this title, such municipal corporation may enter upon and use any land and enclosures over or through which it may be necessary for an aqueduct or pipes to pass, and may thereon dig, place, lay, and construct s…

§ 3303. Compensation; condemnation The municipal corporation may agree with the owner or owners of any property, franchise, easement, or right that may be required by the municipal corporation for the purposes of this chapter, as to the compensation to be paid. In case of failure…

§ 3304. Record Such municipal corporation, within 60 days after the taking of any property, franchise, easement, or right under the provisions of this chapter, shall file in the office of the clerk of the municipal corporation where the same is situated, a description thereof.

§ 3305. Contract for water (a) Such municipal corporation may contract with any town, city, or village, or any corporation and individuals to supply water to such municipal corporation for the protection of property and for domestic and other purposes. (b) A municipal corporation…

§ 3306. Charges; lien The owner or occupant of any tenement, house, or building who takes the water of a municipal corporation shall be liable for the rent or price of the same, and the officers and agents of the municipal corporation entrusted with the care and superintendence o…

§ 3307. Interference with supply If any person diverts the water or part of any of the artesian wells, ponds, springs, streams, aqueducts, water courses, or reservoirs, that shall be taken, used, or constructed by such municipal corporation, or shall corrupt the same, or make it …

§ 3308. Taxes; bonds For the purpose of successfully organizing, establishing, and operating its waterworks, and making such improvements as may be necessary, such municipal corporation is authorized and empowered to purchase, take, and hold real and personal estate; levy and col…

§ 3309. Bond issue Any municipal corporation that is authorized by any general or special law to acquire and maintain a water system may issue its bonds for water purposes pursuant to such law, without regard to any restrictions thereon prescribed by this chapter.

§ 3310. Limitations Bonds issued under the authority of this chapter shall be authorized and issued in accordance with and subject to the limitations and provisions of chapter 53, subchapter 1 of this title. They shall not be considered as indebtedness of the municipal corporatio…

§ 3311. Rates Such municipal corporation may establish rates by meter service or annual rents to be charged and paid at such times, and in such manner as such municipal corporation shall determine for the supply of water to the inhabitants of such municipal corporation and others…

§ 3313. Duties of water commissioners, use of proceeds (a) Water commissioners shall have the supervision of such municipal water department and shall make and establish all needful water rates, charges, rules, and regulations for its control and operation. Such commissioners may…

§ 3314. Records Every bond issued by such municipal corporation for water purposes, under the provisions of sections 3309 and 3310 of this title, shall be signed by the clerk and treasurer of such municipal corporation and shall have the certificate of such clerk that such bond i…

§ 3315. Ordinances Such municipal corporation shall have the power to make, establish, alter, amend, or repeal ordinances, regulations, and bylaws relating to the matters contained in this chapter and not inconsistent with law, including the authority to require existing customer…

§ 3316. Meetings; vote Any action taken by a municipal corporation under the provisions of this chapter or relating to the matters set forth in this chapter shall be by vote of the majority of the legal voters of the municipal corporation at a meeting duly warned and held, unless…

§ 3341. General provisions—Policy and definitions (a) It is hereby declared to be the policy of the State to authorize two or more towns or other municipal corporations to join together to establish a consolidated water district for the purpose of developing or acquiring a supply…

§ 3342. Organization and operation—Establishment of consolidated water district (a) When a majority of the voters of each town of a proposed consolidated water district present and voting in each case by Australian ballot at a town meeting duly warned for that purpose for the sam…

§ 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 meetin…

§ 3344. Warnings of meetings (a) Meetings shall be warned by the clerk, or in case of his or her inability to act, by a majority of the water commissioners, by posting a notice thereof, specifying the time, place, and business of the meeting, in not less than five public places i…

§ 3345. Eligibility of voters Persons residing within the limits of the district, who are qualified voters in their town meetings, shall be voters in the district meeting. The moderator, clerk, and members of the board of water commissioners shall decide all questions as to the e…

§ 3346. Check list The clerk of each town within a consolidated water district shall furnish to the clerk of the district, at the expense of the district, authenticated copies of the check lists of legal voters within said town as the same appears after revision of such check lis…

§ 3347. Record of proceedings The clerk shall keep a record of the votes and the proceedings of the district meetings and give certified copies thereof when required. A clerk who neglects to perform this duty shall forfeit $20.00 to the district, to be recovered in a civil action…

§ 3348. Finances; water rates; application of revenue (a)(1) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 3311 of this title, the board of water commissioners of a consolidated water district shall establish rates for the water and services by meter service and all individuals, firm…

§ 3349. Annual budget; apportionment; assessment; taxes (a) The board of water commissioners of the district shall at each annual meeting present to the district its budget for the ensuing year, which shall include an estimate of the revenue from water rates and other sources, ex…

§ 3350. Special tax assessment for payment of execution When a demand is made upon the district for the payment of an execution issued against it and the district has no available funds to pay the same, the board of water commissioners shall compute the share of each member town …

§ 3351. Debts and liabilities of member towns No debt or liabilities of a town that is a member of the district shall accrue against the district. (1964, No. 20 (Sp. Sess.), § 11, eff. March 10, 1964.)

§ 3352. Tax exemption Property of a consolidated water district shall be exempt from all taxation by any town within the district. (1964, No. 20 (Sp. Sess.), § 12, eff. March 10, 1964; amended 1967, No. 209, § 5, eff. April 17, 1967.)

§ 3353. Indebtedness (a) General obligations. A consolidated water district may incur indebtedness as provided by chapter 53, subchapter 1 of this title and by chapter 89 of this title for the purpose of paying the cost of a water system and improvements to the water system or fo…

§ 3354. Changes in membership; inclusion of additional towns (a) When a majority of voters of a town, present and voting at a meeting duly warned for that purpose, vote to apply to a consolidated water district for admission as a member of that district, the vote shall be certifi…

§ 3355. Withdrawal from district (a) A town which is a member of a consolidated water district may vote to withdraw from said district if one year has elapsed since said district has become a body politic and corporate as provided in section 3342 of this title and if said consoli…

§ 3401. Drainage adjacent to cities and incorporated villages In a town having a municipality within its limits, authorized by law to construct main sewers, drains, and outlets at the expense of the abutters or those interested, where a sewer, drain, or outlet will benefit those …

§ 3402. Construction; taking land With the proper officers of such municipality the selectboard shall cause the same to be constructed, and, for such purpose, may enter upon and construct the same upon private land under the same proceedings as are prescribed for the taking of la…

§ 3403. Apportionment of expense When such sewer, drain, or outlet has been constructed, the selectboard and the same number selected by and from the proper officers of such municipality shall agree upon the proportion of expenses that shall be borne by those inside and those out…

§ 3404. Assessment of parties; notice When an agreement is made as to the amount that shall be paid by those outside the municipality, as provided in section 3403 of this title, the selectboard shall forthwith give notice to all real estate owners benefited by such sewer, drain, …

§ 3405. Determination of amount; record; lien At such hearing, the selectboard shall assess each real estate owner outside such municipality benefited by the construction of such sewer, drain, or outlet, his or her proportion of the expense, according to frontage or the benefit r…

§ 3406. Appeal; not to delay construction When a person is dissatisfied with the decision of the selectboard upon the question of the extent of or necessity for the taking of land for such sewer, drain, or outlet, or in the award of damages therefor or in any assessment for contr…

§ 3407. Proceedings If for a rehearing upon the question of the extent of or public necessity for taking such land, or on the award of damages, such petition shall be served on the town clerk within 60 days after the return of the doings of the selectmen has been filed in such cl…

§ 3408. Collection When an assessment remains unpaid for the space of 30 days, the treasurer of the town shall issue a warrant for its collection directed to the collector of taxes, who shall have the same power to enforce the collection and shall proceed in the same manner as is…

§ 3409. Manner of assessment The proceedings, assessment, and collection of the proportion of expense to be paid by those within the limits of such municipality shall be in the same manner as is provided in their several charters.

§ 3410. Water mains and sewerage outside cities and villages When the public good and necessity require water mains, drains, sewers, or sewer outlets to be laid out so as to extend into a town outside the limits of a city or village, or when the public good and necessity require …

§ 3411. Service; commissioners The petition, with a citation, shall be served on the towns, corporations, or persons owning or interested in the highways or lands affected, either as abutting owners or otherwise, as a writ of summons requiring appearance to be made therein within…

§ 3412. Notice; hearing; report; judgment The commissioners shall appoint a time and place for hearing and shall give at least 12 days’ notice thereof to the clerk of the municipality and to all persons and municipalities owning or interested in the highways or lands. When they h…

§ 3413. Sewers in towns; powers of the selectboard; petition The selectboard of a town shall have the same authority to construct a sewer in a village in that town as is given by this chapter to selectboard of a town having a municipality within its limits. However, before acting…

§ 3414. Hearing; assessment Upon receiving such petition, the selectboard shall give 10 days’ notice of a hearing upon the public necessity for the construction of such sewer by posting notices to that effect in three public places in such village. When, after notice and hearing,…

§ 3415. Taking land; proceedings The selectboard shall have the same powers in the taking of land for the construction of such sewer, in the assessment of damages therefor, in the assessment for benefits conferred and in all proceedings necessary for carrying out the provisions o…