This story by Clare Shanahan was first published in The Valley News on Oct. 30.
WOODSTOCK — Voters authorized the town to purchase Woodstock’s privately owned water system in an overflowing meeting that attracted about 500 people at Town Hall Tuesday night.
After months of discussion and a public comment period that was kicked into high gear about a month ago, residents supported the purchase at the special Town Meeting, 382-103.
The vote allows the Selectboard to purchase the water system and the company’s assets from the Woodstock Aqueduct Co., for $920,000 which would absolve the company’s total debt. This money was allocated from the town’s undesignated fund balance and about half was secured through state grants. The water system primarily serves properties in Woodstock Village and fire hydrants throughout the town.
Supporters of the purchase hope that through town ownership, long-term issues will be resolved and the town will be in a better position to handle problems than the private company, which has been operating in the red.
The water system is “an issue people care deeply about — water’s really important to our community,” Selectboard member Laura Powell said Tuesday night. “It’s vital not just for our residents, for our businesses, for our economy, for our institutions, but also for the prospect of growth.”
Participation in Tuesday’s meeting seemed to underscore the importance of the water system to the community. About 500 of the nearly 3,000 registered voters in Woodstock turned up, or nearly 20%.
Town hall was so packed that many had to stand upstairs or in the lobby.
“It’s so busy. This is the most people I’ve ever seen in town hall today,” Powell said.
The meeting kicked off at 6 p.m. and was planned as a floor vote. At the start of the meeting, Municipal manager Eric Duffy and the Selectboard briefly explained the acquisition, the cost and the wording of the vote.
By 6:20 p.m., residents had moved to Australian ballot voting, opting to end the public comment period. Some people reported that they could not hear comments from the main auditorium and many shouted directly from the lobby in support of beginning the vote.
The building was in a state of chaos while the roughly 500 people in attendance attempted to organize themselves into a single line for voting. Many simply left after the decision was announced rather than waiting, and others left and returned later on when the line had shortened. Many residents who brought children to the meeting were ushered to the front of the line to expedite the process.
Capacity issues are one of many problems prompting the town’s purchase. The Aqueduct company has not been able to issue water permits to new developments because of limited water system capacity, slowing the town’s growth.
While no one can be sure how the switch will go, “the town needs control of the system,” said Don Wheeler, 72, after voting Tuesday. Wheeler has lived in Woodstock all his life.
“I think (town ownership) will be better for the system overall and will ensure the future growth of the (system) and make sure it’s maintained properly,” Wheeler added in support of his ‘yes’ vote.
Some improvement projects must be done to bring the system into compliance with state requirements, Duffy said in September. Specifically, many of the town’s fire hydrants have insufficient pressure and no longer meet state requirements.
The town has identified six necessary capital improvement projects for the system, including replacing and constructing new water mains, wells, pumps and storage tanks that will increase system capacity and resilience.
Liz Nickerson is a Village resident and has lived in Woodstock since 2000. She voted for the acquisition because it makes the most sense for the town and it will grant access to different funding sources, she said.
“I’ve always thought that having a privately held water company was unusual and that the wisdom of having the water company privately held was becoming obsolete,” Nickerson said.
As a public entity, the town is eligible for state and federal grants to repair and develop the system, which the private company cannot access.
Issues with the private system that serves over 770 connections were thrust into public view in July 2023 when flooding damaged distribution pipes and left users without potable water for 10 days.
Duffy spoke to the funding issue in a Sept. 23 Selectboard meeting announcing Tuesday’s vote. He said ongoing system issues as a result of 2023 flooding could have been resolved much more quickly with FEMA funding and access to state grants.
The Selectboard has been looking into the purchase since last summer. In January, the Selectboard gave Duffy permission to formally study purchasing the system.
Duffy, other town employees and the Selectboard have held almost daily meetings and forums around Woodstock since Sept. 23 to discuss the purchase and proposed capital improvement projects. The town was forced to expedite this process after learning that grant funding must be allocated by this Thursday, Oct. 31, Duffy explained in September.
Because the town approved the purchase, there will be a town vote by Australian ballot Dec. 10 to purchase the Vondell Reservoir for $1.6 million, which is also owned by Woodstock Aqueduct, and to approve a bond for related capital improvement projects that will cost at least $6 million. The 352-acre reservoir is currently used for recreation but could be used in the future to support the town water supply.
Read the story on VTDigger here: Woodstock approves water company acquisition.