The two citizens petitions before town voters were framed as an overdue effort to address a longstanding water quality issue in the community — specifically, in the village of Housatonic within greater Great Barrington.
“We are here tonight because for years, Great Barrington residents living in Housatonic have endured water none of us would want coming out of our taps. Out of frustration that nothing has changed in all that time, two petitions were floated to acquire our two independent water companies, the Great Barrington Fire District and the Housatonic Water Works, so that they could be combined under the control of the town. Nearly 300 registered voters signed the petitions," said petitioner and former town finance committee chair Sharon Gregory. “The Great Barrington Fire District has refused repeatedly to acquire the Housatonic Water Works, even though combining the two entities would save money for water customers. The fire district has been able to ignore public opinion because it operates independently of the town government. None of our elected officials have any say over it. The solution is to have the town acquire the fire district and put it under the control of the town.”
The proposal would see Great Barrington buy HWW for a maximum of $2.3 million and the fire district for no more than $2 million.
“We propose that the Select Board consolidate HWW and the Great Barrington Fire District into a single water company under its control," Gregory continued. "The water company's finances would be managed under an enterprise fund completely separate from the town's budget. The fund would have two divisions, one for each water company, so that the water customers in each district would pay only for their own operations and upgrades. No one would pay twice, a fear that is being floated.”
Gregory, acknowledging that the fire district and water department had stumped against the plan in the days leading up to the meeting, said the move would also bring reform to the town’s water system.
“The GBFD is run by a group of five men who don't have to answer to any of the elected officials," she said. "This is a club in which two of them have family memberships, who have held the same job for decades earlier. Doesn't make them a bad people, they just don't bother to post things on a timely manner on financial matters, and they can borrow money virtually with no public oversight and bury the repayment costs in our annual real estate tax bills. The average water bill for households in Great Barrington is $900 a year and represents 10% on top of our real estate taxes. Most people have no idea of the true costs they're paying. No wonder the fire district board members oppose any challenge to their power.”
Both Housatonic residents on the Great Barrington selectboard made it clear that despite suffering the worst of the water quality issue, they were against the plan.
“I agree that this town should acquire the waterworks. They wish to operate it as a public utility, and that ultimately, having one water utility for both Great Barrington and Housatonic is the equitable and efficient thing to do. That's all good stuff. Unfortunately, the impact of this petition puts all of those goals in danger," said Ben Elliot. “We don't need to acquire the fire district to acquire and operate the water works, and the fact that the statute cited in this petition doesn't even contain the charter for the fire district means it wouldn't hold up to a legal challenge, and if the intended impact of Article One is to set the town on a path to own the water works, I'm here to say we are already on that path.”
Elliot said that the selectboard had voted to explore the financial viability of taking over the system as a public utility as far back as 2023, but blamed the ownership of Housatonic Water Works for dragging their feet and delaying the process.
“When that was complete, we voted to obtain special counsel to negotiate the purchase, counsel who is now engaging Housatonic Water Works to sit down at the table," said the selectboard member. "We have started the negotiation process. We are on the path to acquiring the water works and developing an affordable, sustainable way to run it as a public utility, and this petition would introduce unnecessary complications that risk our ability to put together a good clean deal.”
Eric Gabriel is also from Housatonic.
Like Elliot, he said the village’s route to clean water is through the selectboard’s ongoing efforts and not Gregory’s acquisition plan.
“We will solve this problem, but we do not need our friends and neighbors that use Great Barrington Fire District to fear their situation," said Gabriel. "We want them rooting for us, not worrying about what's going to happen to their own supply, their own management and their own cost."
The final vote on the Housatonic Water Works purchase was 140 in favor and 241 opposed, far short of the two-thirds majority required for passage.
The second article concerning buying the Great Barrington Fire District was postponed indefinitely.
