The Plan

Discussions about municipal services in Westbury began in 2019, with the realization that it was a "municipal desert" emerging in 2021. In January 2022 the first public request was made to the Town of Colchester to explore providing municipal services to Westbury. In August of 2022, the Colchester Selectboard issued an opinion letter in which they stated “The Town of Colchester is not interested in providing services under contract to a village at Westbury or any other village in the Town of Colchester." As a result, the focus shifted to creating a village to specifically manage municipal water services directly. 

 

Westbury’s Village Plan proposes the creation of a village to take ownership and operate the water system. Westbury has been paying for repairs and upkeep to the Colchester FD3 water system for 50 years, despite not being connected to it simply because Westbury's water system (VT-0020466) falls within Colchester FD3's geographical area. If the system were owned by a village, Westbury understood that it could access a wholesale rate for water, saving $54,000 annually ($42,000 vs $96,000 at retail rates). The savings would remain in the community and be reinvested in the water system, reducing reliance on external systems.

 

Based on other successful villages in Vermont, the proposed staffing model for Westbury includes 3 volunteer trustees, 1 volunteer moderator, 1 clerk part-time position (5 hrs/month) with $100/month compensation, and 1 treasurer position with $60/month compensation. These positions and compensation align with similar villages and fire districts in Vermont. If Westbury expands to other services, additional evaluations would be needed to assess the costs and benefits.