The Waterford Heath and Building Department is located on the first floor of Town Hall. Both departments are charged with inspecting town properties to ensure they are built and operated safely.
The building department inspects all ongoing construction on any town property to ensure all structures are built to all building codes. The health office continues to inspect properties after they are built, especially businesses, to ensure they meet all health and safety regulations.
The Town of Waterford Finance Office is responsible for tracking every dollar spent out of the general government and capital budgets. The office is composed of one position, the director of finance, currently held by Ruth Beers.
The Board of Finance is a seven-member board of elected residents charged with setting the mill rate and allocations for the general town government and education budget. The current chairman on the board is Republican Ronald Fedor, and the group meets the second Wednesday of every month at 7 p.m. in the Town Hall.
Waterford's Recreation and Parks Department is charged with maintaining the town's community center, numerous playgrounds, the school grounds and town parks while providing programs for adults and children. The department runs a sport council, which oversees several sporting events for children and teenagers and provides swim classes and open swim at the Waterford High School pool.
Decisions on the department's budget and overall focus is set by the Waterford Recreation and Parks Commission, a group of nine volunteer townspeople appointed by the Board of Selectmen.
The Waterford Tax Collector, located in Town Hall, is charged with collecting the town's taxes. Personal property and motor vehicle taxes are sent once a year, in July, and are due by Aug. 2. Real estate taxes are sent out twice a year, once in July (due by Aug. 2) and again in January (due by Feb. 1).
Taxes can be paid in person or by check, made payable to Town of Waterford and mailed to P.O. Box 1755, Brattleboro, VT 05302. Taxes can also be paid by phone or at www.officialpayments.com, with a 3 percent to 10 percent surcharge, depending on the amount of the bill.
The Waterford Human Resources Department, located on the second floor of Town Hall, oversees the hiring, firing, benefits, policies and punishment of Waterford town employee. Those interested in applying for a job working for the town of Waterford must submit a written application to the office, either in person or through the mail. Electronic copies are not accepted. Applications can be found on the department's website.
The Waterford Public Works Department handles maintenance of all the town's roads and property while running door-to-door garbage pick-up and the transfer station. All garbage pickup is done during the week, with each section of the town receiving roadside pickup on a selected day. The department also ensures all recyclables are properly disposed.
The public works department is also responsible for plowing all town roads. When there is more than three inches of snow on the ground, no street-side parking is allowed until the department has finished plowing the road.
The public works building and transfer station are located together off Hartford Turnpike. Ronald Cusano is the current head of public works.
The Waterford Assessors Office, based in Town Hall, is charged with gathering and valuing all real estate, motor vehicle and business personal property in town for the purpose of creating a tax base. Assessments are based on a variety of factors conforming to a laundry list of state and federal regulations. Exemptions and reductions are possible on assessments for a variety of reasons, such as for disabled veterans, elderly residents or manufacturing equipment, among others. All town assessments are online at http://www.prophecyone.us/index_prophecy.php?town=Waterford.
The department is operated by the town assessor and an assistant assessor, with assessments being done once every five years. Assessments can be challenged by appointment through the Waterford Board of Assessment Appeals, a group of three elected townspeople.
The Waterford Utility Commission oversees the use of all town sewer and water lines, which cover about 75 percent of town. The commission is composed of five elected townspeople who lead parts of the public works department and the water pollution control authority. The Waterford Utility Commission sets all buy-in and tie-in fees for sewer and water in the town and the rate for sewer and water usage. The commission's office is located in the public works building, next to the transfer station, off Hartford Turnpike.
The planning and zoning department, located in Town Hall, is charged with creating, enforcing and regulating all the town's plans for development, zoning regulations and planning regulations. All new construction or any addition must meet all planning and zoning regulations before beginning, and must stay in compliance throughout the process.
The planning and zoning office holds a planning director, zoning official, town planner, environmental planner and office coordinator. The ultimate authority is the planning and zoning commission, with all members appointed by the board of selectmen. The commission holds five regular members, each with a five-year term.
Any new construction or addition that violates any town planning and zoning regulation can be approved by the zoning board of appeals, a five-member group of elected townspeople.
The First Selectman is the chairman of the three-person board of selectman, responsible for the executive component of the town government. The board of selectman creates the general government and capital budget, which ultimately is finalized by the board of finance. The First Selectman also leads all day-to-day operations of the town. Currently, Republican Daniel Steward serves as First Selectman. He is currently in his third two-year term, set to expire in November of 2011. His office is located on the first floor of Town Hall.
The Waterford Police is composed of forty-three officers, six full time secretaries, five part time community service officers, and two police K-9s. It also has several unmarked police cars, one boat, three four-wheel drive vehicles and two ATVS. Police Chief Murray Pendleton leads the department. The department is based out of a free-standing building on Avery Lane.
The town clerk's office, located in Town Hall, is charged with keeping the official records of the town, including land records, vital records, board and commission minutes and all historical data, and making copies of any of those documents for the public. It also issues licenses and permits, such as dog licenses and cremation permits.
The position also serves as clerk of the Representative Town Meeting. During elections, the town clerk helps register voters, certifies candidates and issues absentee ballots. The current town clerk is Robert Nye. Nye oversees the deputy town clerk and associate town clerk, who serve in the office as well.
The Friendship School is an early childhood magnet school operated through LEARN, a public agency run by the state of Connecticut. The school serves 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds in both New London and Waterford. Space is limited to 110 kindergarterners and 140 preschoolers from Waterford, picked randomly from a lottery of interested students. Transportation is provided by the Waterford School district.
The State of Connecticut's 20th Senatorial District represents East Lyme, Montville, New London, Old Lyme, Old Saybrook, Salem and Waterford. One of 36 senators in Connecticut, the current State Senator for the district is Andrea Stillman, who lives in Waterford.
The Waterford Registrars of Voters office, located on the first floor in town hall, is charged with registering all voters in Waterford. There are currently two registrars, one for Republicans and another for Democrats. Registration forms are available at the registrar's office, the town clerk's office and the Waterford Public Library.
Both registrars are available most mornings, Monday through Friday. If they are not in, residents can register at the town clerk's office.