There is hereby created in the Town of Lewiston a department
to be known as the Department of Water, to be headed by a superintendent
who shall serve at the pleasure of the Town Board, except as otherwise
provided by law.
All expenditures for maintenance of all existing water districts
and of any water districts hereafter created which may be provided
pursuant to the provisions of § 202-a of the Town Law shall
be provided and paid for out of the funds of said Water Department
appropriated as hereafter provided.
The Town Board, with the assistance of the Superintendent of
Water, shall annually estimate the expenditures anticipated for the
subsequent year, and the amount of such estimate shall be allocated
against each then-existing water district in accordance with the following
formula: The percent of customers within each district and the percent
of sales of water within each district averaged together in ratio
to the total number of customers and the total amount of sales within
all of said water districts, and the amount thus arrived at shall
be paid over to the Department of Water out of the funds levied and
assessed against each district in accordance with the provisions and
for the purposes authorized by § 202-a of the Town Law.
No expenditures authorized to be made for the increase or improvement
of the facilities of any water district, as provided by § 202-b
of the Town Law, shall be made from the sums so appropriated, but
each such expenditure shall be a charge against such special district.
All water meters to be supplied within the several districts
shall be purchased by the Water Department out of a revolving fund
provided by the several water districts in accordance with the formula
hereinbefore set forth, subject to reimbursement of such fund from
each individual water meter purchaser at the time of installation.
The amount of such revolving fund shall be determined by the Town
Board, and may from time to time be altered by it, upon the same basis
as originally established.
The Water Department hereby established may in the first instance
purchase out of the funds appropriated to said Water Department such
parts and supplies as in the judgment of the superintendent may be
required for use within the water districts, including hydrants, valves,
master meters and pipe. Whenever any of such parts shall be required
for use within any individual water district, the cost thereof shall
be reimbursed to the Water Department out of the funds of such water
district, and the supervisor is hereby authorized and empowered to
make such transfers of funds.
The power to transfer to the Water Department funds of each
individual water district in accordance with the formula hereinbefore
set forth and from time to time to increase or reduce the amount of
such funds is hereby delegated to the supervisor, the chief fiscal
officer of the Town; provided, however, that no such increase or decrease
shall be made except in accordance with the formula hereinbefore set
forth, nor operate in such manner as to impose an unfair burden upon
any of such water districts.
The Town Board, in determining the amount to be annually raised
for the functioning of said Water Department, shall apportion against
and charge to each said water district, in accordance with the formula
hereinabove set forth, an allowance for the salaries of the Superintendent
and all Town employees whose services are required in the operation
of such Water Department and may also apportion against and charge
to said Department an allowance for any services rendered by the Town
Engineer or the Town Attorney.
The Water Department is hereby authorized and empowered to adopt
rules and regulations not inconsistent with the provisions of the
resolution.