Title 24APPENDIX, Municipal Charters

§ 1210. Thermal energy rates The City Council shall establish rates to be paid for the use of heat and improvements supplied by the City for the production and distribution of heat, and such rates shall be called heat rates. Such heat rates shall be a lien in the nature of a real…

§ 1211. Heat meters The City Council may provide for use of meters or other devices as a basis of charging users of heat supplied by the City system and may in its discretion provide for use of such devices by all users of specified classes. (Added 2007, No. M-11, § 2, eff. April…

§ 1212. Tax Collector Delinquent taxes, fees, charges, and assessments shall be collected by the City Tax Collector, appointed under section 1007 of this charter whose powers and duties shall be those provided by general law. (Amended 2013, No. M-19 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. May 20…

§ 1213. Property tax credits; sprinklers By resolution or ordinance, the City Council may grant credits equal to no more than 10 percent of the annual municipal property tax, or reductions of up to 10 percent of the appraised valuation, for residential and nonresidential building…

§ 1214. Local option taxes Local option taxes are authorized under this section for the purpose of affording the City an alternative method of raising municipal revenues. Accordingly: (1) The City Council may assess rooms, meals, and alcohol taxes of one percent. (2) Any tax impo…

§ 1301. Taking property for public purposes The City Council, upon notice to persons affected, may lay out, make, maintain, alter, establish, install, construct, discontinue, or repair the following: any street, road, highway, lane, alley, transportation path, or sidewalk; any he…

§ 1302. Procedure for taking property (a) Highways and urban renewal. In taking land and other property for the purposes of laying out roads and highways, the City Council shall proceed in the same manner as is provided by law for municipalities in taking land for highways. In ta…

§ 1303. Special assessments; streets, sidewalks, heat production, and distribution improvements The City Council, in laying out or establishing new streets, highways, or facilities for the production and distribution of heat, and in making, altering, or repairing sidewalks, and i…

§ 1304. Special assessment; heat improvements The City Council shall have the power to create an energy district of the City of Montpelier or part thereof and to incur indebtedness for or otherwise finance by any permitted means acceptable facilities for the production and delive…

§ 1305. Special assessment—Sewers and drains Every person whose particular drain shall empty into any common sewer, either at the time of the construction of the common sewer or thereafter, or who in the opinion of the City Council shall receive benefit thereby for draining the p…

§ 1307. Record of special assessments When the City Council shall make assessments, the City Clerk shall immediately make out a statement of all such assessments, giving the name of the owner and describing the land or other property assessed, and shall cause the same to be prope…

§ 1308. Notice and time of payment The City Treasurer shall forthwith notify each person so assessed by mail. The notice shall state the nature of the assessment, the amount of the same, and the time of payment. Payment due date shall be as noted on the bill. (Amended 2013, No. M…

§ 1309. Record of payment Payment, when made, shall be entered on the record of assessment. Recording as provided in section 1307 of this subchapter shall be required before such assessment becomes a lien on the land or other property affected. (Amended 2013, No. M-19 (Adj. Sess.…

§ 1310. Warrant for collection of special assessment (a) If the owner of lands or other property assessed by authority of this subchapter shall neglect to pay the City Treasurer the billed amount of such assessment within 30 days after the due date as noticed on the assessment, t…

§ 1311. Tax Collector authority to sell property The Tax Collector shall have authority to sell at public auction so much of said land or other property as will satisfy such assessment and all legal fees, and will proceed in the same manner in the collection of such assessment as…

§ 1312. Lien not vacated While the final resolution is pending on an appeal from an assessment made under the provisions of this subchapter, the City shall not vacate the lien created by such assessment, but shall suspend the same until final determination of the proceedings. The…

§ 1313. Minimum description Whenever a description of lands or buildings is required in making assessments, or in the recording thereof, reference to the deed of conveyance to the last record owner thereof, giving the date of the same and the volume and page of the land records w…

§ 1401. Oath of allegiance; oath of office All elective officials of the City shall, before assuming office, take, subscribe, and file with the City Clerk the following two oaths, as prescribed by the Constitution of the State of Vermont, Chapter II, § 56: Oath or Affirmation of …

§ 1402. Savings clause The amendment of this charter shall not affect any ordinance, resolution, or bylaw lawfully enacted, ordained, and established under the provisions of this charter prior to the amendment, but the same shall be and remain in full force and effect until repea…

§ 1403. Title of charter This charter shall be designated as the Charter of the City of Montpelier. A copy of this charter shall be kept in the office of the Montpelier City Clerk, to which copy shall be affixed a certificate under the hand of the Secretary of State and the Seal …

§ 1405. Amendment of the charter This charter may be altered, amended, or repealed whenever the public good shall require in accordance with the general laws of the State. A copy certified by the Secretary of State of all acts that alter, amend, or repeal this charter shall be ke…

§ 1411. Separability of provisions If any provision of this charter or the application of it to any person, body, or circumstances shall be held invalid, the remainder of this charter or the application of it to persons, bodies, or circumstances other than those as to which it sh…

§ 1501. Eligibility of noncitizen voters (a) Notwithstanding 17 V.S.A. § 2121(a)(1), any person may register to vote in Montpelier City elections who on election day is a citizen of the United States or a legal resident of the United States, provided that person otherwise meets t…

§ 1502. City voter checklist; City Clerk duties to maintain The City Clerk shall maintain a City voter checklist composed of voters eligible to vote in City elections under 17 V.S.A. chapter 43 and this subchapter and shall keep this City voter checklist separate from any other v…

§ 1503. City election ballot In any election involving a federal, State, county, special district, or school district office or question and a City question or City office, the City Clerk shall prepare a ballot that contains only the City questions and candidates, except for just…

§ 1504. Definitions As used in this subchapter: (1) “Legal resident of the United States” means any noncitizen who resides in the United States on a permanent or indefinite basis in compliance with federal immigration laws. (2) “Noncitizen voter” means any voter who registers and…

§ 201. City voting districts There shall be three voting districts for the City, which shall be defined and filed with the City Clerk. The City Council may make changes from time to time to the boundaries of the districts in order to provide an equal division of population among …

§ 301. Powers and duties of city council (a) All powers of the City shall be vested in the City Council, except as otherwise provided by law or this charter, and the Council shall perform all duties and obligations imposed on the City by law. (b) In addition, the Council shall ha…

§ 302. City Council composition and term of office The City Council shall consist of the Mayor and two Council members from each voting district. Members shall be elected by the voters of each respective district. Council members shall serve for a term of two years, and one Counc…

§ 303. Vacancy in office of Council member A vacancy on the City Council shall occur upon the death, removal from the district, inability to serve, or resignation of a Council member. A vacancy in the office of Council member with more than 90 days of unexpired term remaining sha…

§ 304. Election of President, Vice President, and Parliamentarian (a) Following the annual meeting, the City Council shall elect from its members a President, Vice President, and Parliamentarian. (b) The President shall assume all the duties of the Mayor in the event of a vacancy…

§ 305. Vacancy in the office of the President, Vice President, or Parliamentarian In the event of the death, resignation, or disqualification of the President, Vice President, or Parliamentarian, the remaining City Council members shall elect a successor to serve until the next a…

§ 307. Council meetings The City Council shall hold meetings monthly on a regular schedule, and more often at the call of the Mayor. (Amended 2013, No. M-19 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. May 20, 2014.)

§ 308. Special Council meetings (a) The Mayor may call special meetings of the City Council at any time. Special meetings may also be called by the Clerk on a petition signed by a majority of the City Council and filed with the Clerk. (b) Public notice and notice to the Council s…

§ 309. Council agenda The City Manager shall prepare a written agenda for each meeting of the Council. The City Manager shall add to the agenda any items requested by a Council member or by written request of any other person. The agenda shall be posted in accordance with State l…

§ 310. Council quorum A quorum of the City Council, consisting of a majority or four Council members, shall be necessary to conduct business; however, the transaction of business shall be in accordance with 1 V.S.A. § 172 as may be amended from time to time. A number less than a …

§ 311. Attendance at meetings Any City officer or employee may be required to attend a meeting of the City Council.

§ 312. Council meetings generally public All meetings of the City Council shall be open to the public and conducted in accordance with the Vermont Open Meeting Law and rules of procedure adopted by the Council, except that a meeting may be closed to the public for deliberations o…

§ 313. Council minutes recorded All minutes of the City Council meetings shall be recorded and shall be available to the public as provided in the general access to public records laws of the State. (Amended 2013, No. M-19 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. May 20, 2014.)

§ 314. Executive session The Council may enter into executive session by majority vote in accordance with 1 V.S.A. § 313(a) as may be amended from time to time. (Amended 2013, No. M-19 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. May 20, 2014.)

§ 315. Council authority to require information The City Council shall have the authority to require the City Clerk and each appointive City officer, excluding school department officers, to furnish information concerning anything connected with, or work planned to be performed i…

§ 316. Compensation The Mayor and Council members shall receive as compensation for their services such sums as shall be voted to them at the annual meeting of each year. (Amended 2013, No. M-19 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. May 20, 2014.)

§ 317. Council appointments (a)(1) The City Council shall appoint the following officers: (A) City Manager; (B) City Treasurer; and (C) City attorneys. (2) The City Council may remove any appointee set forth in subdivision (1) of this subsection and appoint another. (b) The City …

§ 318. Claims for personal services No claim for personal services shall be allowed to the officers elected at the annual meeting, except when compensation for such services is provided for under the provisions of this charter or by the general law. The compensation of all office…

§ 319. Sale of public property The City Council may authorize the sale or lease of any real or personal estate belonging to the City. All conveyances, transfers, grants, or leases of any real estate owned by the City shall be signed by the Mayor in accordance with 1 V.S.A. § 313 …

§ 320. Contracts All contracts on behalf of and any purchases for the City shall be authorized by the City Council, except as otherwise provided by ordinances of the City of Montpelier or this charter. (Amended 2013, No. M-19 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. May 20, 2014.)