Title 24APPENDIX, MUNICIPAL CHARTERS

§ 804. Assessment and taxation agreement Notwithstanding any other provisions of this charter and the requirements of the general law of the State of Vermont, the Selectboard is authorized to negotiate and execute assessment and taxation agreements between the Town and a taxpayer…

§ 901. Board established A Planning Commission shall be established and its powers, obligations, and operation shall be under and in accordance with the Vermont Statutes Annotated, as they may be amended from time to time hereafter. (Renumbered from 24A V.S.A. § 117-401 by 2023, …

§ 902. Personnel rules and regulations [Renumbered] (Renumbered to 24A V.S.A. § 117-502 by 2023, No. M-19 (Adj. Sess.), § 3, eff. Mar. 29, 2024.)

§ 903. Prohibitions [Renumbered] (Renumbered to 24A V.S.A. § 117-503 by 2023, No. M-19 (Adj. Sess.), § 3, eff. Mar. 29, 2024.)

§ 1. Corporate existence retained (a) Pursuant to the authority granted by the General Assembly, there is hereby enacted a charter to govern the organization and operation of local government in the Town of Ferrisburgh. (b) The inhabitants of the Town of Ferrisburgh, within the g…

§ 2. General provisions (a) Except when changed, enlarged, or modified by the provisions of this charter, all provisions of the statutes of the State of Vermont relating to municipalities shall apply to the Town of Ferrisburgh. (b) The Town shall have all the powers granted to to…

§ 3. Appointed officers (a) In addition to all other offices that may be filled by appointment by the Selectboard pursuant to State law or this charter, the Selectboard shall appoint the following Town officers, who shall serve for such terms as the Selectboard may establish in i…

§ 4. Severability If any provision of this charter is held invalid, the other provisions of this charter shall not be affected thereby. (Added 2017, No. M-13 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. Mar. 1, 2018.)

§ 101. Water Department There is created a Water Department for the purpose of maintaining a municipal water system. The Water Department shall be separate from all other departments in the Town. (Added 2015, No. M-4, § 2, eff. June 1, 2015.)

§ 102. Water Commission (a) The Selectboard shall appoint a three-member board that shall serve as the Board of Water Commissioners, at least one of whom shall be a member of the Selectboard. The members shall serve staggered three-year terms. (b) The Board of Water Commissioners…

§ 103. Establishment of dedicated fund A dedicated fund is hereby established for the purposes set forth in 24 V.S.A. § 3313(b). The fund shall be under the control and direction of the Water Commissioners and its use and maintenance shall be dictated by the general laws of the S…

§ 104. Severability If any provision of this enactment shall for any reason be held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect the remaining provisions that shall be given effect without the invalid provision. To this end, the provisions of this charter are severable. (Added 2015,…

§ 1 Statement of purpose Under the authority granted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont, this charter establishes certain guidelines with respect to organization and functioning of local Town government in the Town of Jamaica, Vermont. (Added 2011, No. M-2, § 2, eff.…

§ 10 Relationship between and among Town officers All Town officers, whether elected or appointed, shall exercise their duties and responsibilities independently unless otherwise provided by law. (Added 2011, No. M-2, § 2, eff. Feb. 16, 2011.)

§ 101 Incorporated The inhabitants of the Town of Hartford, including the historical, unincorporated Villages of Hartford, West Hartford, Quechee, Wilder, and White River Junction, are a corporate and political body under the name of “Town of Hartford” (herein called “the Town”).…

§ 101. Corporate existence retained The inhabitants of the Town of Hardwick as presently constituted are incorporated and declared to be a body corporate and politic under the name of the Town of Hardwick and under that name may sue and be sued, prosecute, and defend in any court…

§ 102. General law, application Except when changed, enlarged, or modified by the provisions of this charter, all provisions of the statutes of the State of Vermont relating to municipalities shall apply to the Town of Hardwick.

§ 102 General powers (a) All provisions of the Constitution and laws of the State of Vermont relating to towns and town school districts shall apply to the Town and the School District, except as otherwise provided by this charter. (b) The Town and School District shall have and …

§ 103. Particular powers of the Town In addition to powers otherwise conferred upon it by law, the Town is, for the purpose of promoting the public health, safety, welfare, and convenience, authorized to adopt and enforce ordinances, rules, and regulations concerning any matter o…

§ 103. Powers of the Town (a) The Town of Hardwick shall have all the powers granted to towns, town school districts, and municipal corporations by the Constitution and laws of this State and this charter, together with all the implied powers necessary to carry into execution all…

§ 104 Local option tax The Town of Hartford is authorized to levy a tax of one percent on rooms, meals, and alcoholic beverages, the net proceeds of which are to be deposited in a capital reserve fund until directed otherwise by vote of the Town. (Added 2017, No. M-6, § 2, eff. M…

§ 104. Additional powers The general grant of authority in section 103 of this charter shall include the following powers, and the enumeration thereof shall not be deemed to be in derogation of the authority conferred by this charter. (1) To adopt and enforce ordinances relating …

§ 105. Reservation of powers to the Town Nothing in this charter shall be construed to in any way limit the powers and functions conferred on the Town of Hardwick, its Selectboard, or its elected and appointed officials by general or special enactments of State statutes or regula…

§ 106. Ordinances: penalties for breach thereof (a) A Town ordinance may provide: (1) for a fine in an amount no greater than $1,000.00; and (2) that each week a violation continues shall constitute a separate offense. (b) A violation of a Town ordinance shall be classified as mi…

§ 107. Ordinances; adoption by the Selectboard (a) If the Selectboard desires to adopt an ordinance, the Selectboard shall record it in the official record kept of the Selectboard proceedings, and the Selectboard shall adopt it subject to final approval after the public hearing a…

§ 108. Referendum (a) All Town ordinances, except as specified in section 110 of this charter, may be repealed by vote of the Town as follows: A petition signed by not less than 15 percent of the registered voters shall be filed with the Town Clerk requesting a vote on the questi…

§ 109. Ordinances; adoption on petition Any lawful ordinance may be enacted by vote of the Town as follows: A petition signed by not less than 15 percent of the registered voters shall be filed with the Town Clerk requesting enactment of the ordinance and accompanied by the text …

§ 11 Terms of office Each appointed officer shall serve from the date he or she is appointed and qualified until the end of the term. Each officer shall hold over until his or her successor is appointed and qualified. Each officer may succeed himself or herself, if the Selectboar…

§ 110. Non-applicability of zoning and subdivision The provisions of sections 107, 108, and 109 of this charter shall not apply to the enactment, amendment, or repeal of any zoning ordinance or bylaw, any land subdivision ordinance or land subdivision bylaw, nor to the enactment,…

§ 1101. Application of general laws Provisions of the laws of this State relating to voter qualification; warnings; methods of voting; the duties of Town officers at Town meetings and elections; and all other particulars relating to preparation for, conduct, and management of Tow…

§ 1102. Eligible voters A method for the identification and designation of the eligible voters in Town meeting shall be established and enforced by the Board of Civil Authority.

§ 1103. Polling places The Board of Civil Authority shall establish a polling place or places as it shall determine appropriate whenever any annual or special Town meeting is being held for the purpose of the election of officers or the voting on questions to be decided by Austra…

§ 1104. Postponement and combining of Town meeting (a) If an application for a special Town meeting is made not more than 60 days and not less than 40 days before annual Town meeting day, the Selectboard may postpone voting on any one or more of the articles requested in the peti…

§ 1105. Voting question by Australian ballot Voting on any public question or the election of any Town officer by Australian ballot shall be as provided by the general law of the State.

§ 1106. Annual meeting; date and time The annual meeting of the Town for the consideration of all matters to be voted upon by ballot shall be held on the first Tuesday in March, commencing at 10 o’clock in the forenoon.

§ 111. Applicability of referendum and initiative The right of referendum and initiative contained in sections 108 and 109 of this charter shall apply to the amendment or repeal of an ordinance as well as to its enactment.

§ 112. Authority of police officers Police officers of the Town shall have those powers conferred upon them by 24 V.S.A. chapter 55 and by all other laws applicable to municipal police officers. (Amended 2021, No. M-17 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. June 7, 2022.)

§ 113. Open meetings Meetings of all Town boards, commissions, and formal committees shall conform with the provisions of 1 V.S.A. §§ 310–314 of Vermont’s Open Meeting Law. (Amended 2021, No. M-17 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. June 7, 2022.)

§ 114. Form of government The municipal government provided by this charter shall be known as the council manager form of government. Pursuant to its provisions and subject only to the limitations imposed by the Vermont Constitution and by this charter, all powers of the Town sha…

§ 115. Change of form of government Upon petition of a number of legal voters equal to at least 15 percent of the total registered voters of the Town may, at any annual meeting or special meeting duly warned and held for that purpose, vote to change the council-manager form of go…

§ 116. Intergovernmental relations The Town, through its Selectboard, may enter into any agreement with the United States of America or the State of Vermont, or both, or with any subdivision, department, agency, or activity of the United States of America or the State of Vermont,…

§ 118. Special service district (a) By ordinance, enacted as herein provided, the Town of Hardwick may designate, establish, enlarge, and modify the boundaries of certain special service districts, in which are provided municipal services not available elsewhere in the Town. For …

§ 12 Town Clerk; Treasurer; Collector of Delinquent Taxes (a) The Selectboard shall appoint a Town Clerk, a Treasurer, and a Delinquent Tax Collector in the manner set forth in subsection (b) of this section. The appointee shall be competent in the keeping of records, investments…

§ 13 General prohibition No elected or appointed Town officer or employee of the Town shall be beneficially interested in any matter requiring the discharge of his or her public office. The purpose of this section is to prohibit the use of public office for financial or other adv…

§ 1301. Applicability of State law to zoning and planning The Zoning Administrator shall be nominated by the Planning Commission and appointed by the Selectboard for a term of three years promptly after the adoption of the first bylaws or when a vacancy exists. The appointment sh…

§ 1303. Minutes (a) Copies of the minutes of the Development Review Board or the Hardwick Planning Commission, or portions of the minutes, shall be made available to any member of the public upon request to the Town Manager and at cost. (b) Copies of the minutes of the Developmen…