Title 24APPENDIX, Municipal Charters

§ 13. Bylaws and regulations (a) The corporation may enact such bylaws and regulations as are expedient, including those that relate to vehicle traffic and parking of motor and other vehicles on the streets of the Village; to streets, sidewalks, lanes, and commons, and shade and …

§ 14. Penalties; charter and bylaws Fines, forfeitures, and penalties imposed for violations of any of the provisions of this charter or of the Village bylaws may be prosecuted for and recovered in and by an action founded on this section in the Vermont District Court or the Wind…

§ 15. Taxes The Village may, at any annual or special meeting called in whole or in part for that purpose, lay a tax on the grand list of the Town of Rockingham, and the Board of Trustees shall make out a rate bill of all taxes voted by the Bellows Falls Village corporation, in m…

§ 16. Tax abatement The Board for the Abatement of Taxes shall consist of the Board of Trustees, President, Clerk, and Treasurer, and justice of the peace and listers residing in the Village. The act of a majority of a quorum at a meeting shall be treated as the act of the Board.…

§ 17. Police Department (a) The Board of Trustees, and in its stead, the Village Manager, when appointed pursuant to 24 V.S.A. chapter 37, and as may be amended, may establish and maintain a Police Department. Such Police Department shall consist of one Chief of Police and subord…

§ 18. Fire Department The Board of Trustees, and in its stead, the Village Manager when appointed pursuant to 24 V.S.A. chapter 37, and as the same may be amended, may establish and maintain a Fire Department for the protection of life and property. Such Fire Department shall con…

§ 19. Water Department The Village may maintain a Water Department for the purpose of supplying its inhabitants, and as incident to that service, the inhabitants of adjoining towns and the Town of Rockingham, with water for domestic and other purposes, and may purchase and hold a…

§ 2. Amendment and repeal The present officers of the Village shall hold their respective offices until the next annual meeting of the Village, as provided in its bylaws. And its bylaws now in force, insofar as they do not conflict with the provisions of this charter, shall conti…

§ 20. Water rates For the purpose of the support of said Water Department, and to ensure the payment of the annual principal and interest upon any water bonds issued by said corporation, the Board of Trustees shall establish rates to be charged and paid by the users of said water…

§ 21. Application of water management The rents and receipts of said corporation for the use of water shall first be applied to pay the annual principal and interest as it becomes due upon water bonds issued by said corporation, and whenever such rents and receipts shall exceed t…

§ 22. Minard’s Pond It is hereby declared to be unlawful for any person or persons to go upon or into the waters of Minard’s Pond or other ponds, streams, or springs from which the Village derives its supply of water; or to remove fish from Minard’s Pond; or to enter upon the lan…

§ 23. Streets and sidewalks (a) Lighting and the regulation of the highways, streets, and sidewalks located within the corporate limits of said corporation shall be within the control of the Board of Trustees and the corporation shall have the right to use said highways, streets,…

§ 24. Sewerage Department The Village may maintain a Sewerage Department for the purposes of providing its inhabitants, and as incident to that service, the inhabitants of adjoining towns and the Town of Rockingham, with sewerage systems for domestic and other purposes, and may p…

§ 25. Sewerage rates For the purpose of the support of said Sewerage Department and to ensure the payment of the annual principal and interest upon any sewerage bonds issued by said corporation, the Board of Trustees shall establish rates to be charged and paid by the users of sa…

§ 26. Application of sewerage management The rents and receipts of said corporation for the use of sewerage shall first be applied to pay the annual principal and interest as it becomes due upon sewerage bonds issued by said corporation, and whenever such rents and receipts shall…

§ 27. Drains and sewers The Board of Trustees of said corporation may lay out, grade, alter, maintain, and discontinue any sewers or drains in said corporation, and may appraise and settle the damages therefor, causing their proceedings to be recorded in the office of the Clerk o…

§ 28. Refuse disposal The Village is hereby authorized and empowered by and with the consent of the majority of the legal voters of the Village at a meeting legally warned and held for the purpose, to establish, maintain, and operate a dumping ground, for the reception and dispos…

§ 29. Electric utility authorization The Village is authorized and empowered by and with the consent of a majority of the legal voters of the Village, at a meeting legally warned and held for that purpose, to purchase or establish an electric light plant, and for that purpose may…

§ 3. Boundaries and general powers The inhabitants within the bounds of the original first school district in the Town of Rockingham in the County of Windham, and their successors forever, are hereby constituted a body politic and corporate, by the name of the “Bellows Falls Vill…

§ 30. Public parks and playgrounds The Bellows Falls Village corporation is hereby authorized and empowered to acquire by gift or purchase land inside or outside the corporate limits of the Village corporation to be held by it and used as a public park and public playground. The …

§ 4. Meetings and warnings (a)(1) Annual meeting. The annual meeting of said corporation shall be held within said Village on the third Tuesday in May of each year at the time and place designated by the Board of Trustees in its bylaws, for the election of officers and the transa…

§ 5. Elected officers’ terms and vacancies (a) The officers of said corporation shall be a Moderator, a President, a Clerk, a Treasurer, a Collector of Taxes, four Trustees, and three Auditors of Accounts. No person shall hold office of Treasurer and Auditor of Accounts simultane…

§ 6. Board of Trustees’ duties (a) The Board of Trustees shall have charge of all prudential affairs of said corporation and perform the duties enjoined upon it by said corporation. (b) The Board shall direct the expenditure of all monies belonging to the Village, and no money sh…

§ 7. President’s duties By virtue of the office, the President shall be a member of the Board of Trustees and shall preside over meetings of the Board of Trustees. In the absence of the President, the Trustees shall elect a chair from among their number.

§ 8. Clerk’s duties It shall be the duty of the Clerk to warn all meetings of said corporation, both annual and special, agreeable to the direction of the Board of Trustees, and to keep accurate records of the proceedings of said corporation, to furnish certified copies of the sa…

§ 9. Moderator It shall be the duty of the Moderator to preside at all annual and special meetings of said corporation, and he or she shall have the same powers as a moderator of town meetings. In the absence of the Moderator, the meeting shall be called to order by a member of t…