Title 24, Title 24: Municipal and County Government

§ 3812. Agreement as to division An agreement in writing between the owners of adjoining lands, relating to their division fence, signed by the owners, witnessed by two witnesses, acknowledged by the parties and recorded in the office of the town clerk in the town where the fence…

§ 3813. When fence is on a town line; division When the line on which a division fence is to be made or maintained is the line between two towns, and the parties do not agree upon the division, the same shall be determined by a board of fence viewers consisting of one or more fro…

§ 3814. Homesteader to maintain; liability Each owner of a homestead shall be liable to make and maintain his or her portion of the division fence between his or her homestead and adjoining lands. The homestead shall be liable to attachment and levy of execution for damages and c…

§ 3815. Records Certificates and written agreements mentioned in this chapter shall be recorded and alphabetically indexed by the town clerk in a book kept for that purpose.

§ 3816. Recovery for expense When, by the provisions of this chapter, owners of adjoining lands are required to pay to another the expense of making or repairing a division fence, or damages for the neglect of making, or for one-half the value of a division fence, the same with c…

§ 3817. Unnecessary fence; maintenance prohibited; penalty A person shall not erect or maintain an unnecessary fence or other structure for the purpose of annoying the owners of adjoining property by obstructing their view or depriving them of light or air. A person who violates …

§ 3901. Soldiers’ monuments and records A town may instruct the selectboard to erect a building or monument to the memory of citizens of such town who were in the military or naval service during any wars in which the United States has been engaged and may appropriate sufficient …

§ 3902. Rooms for use of veterans’ organizations A town may appropriate the necessary funds to pay the rentals of rooms for the use of organizations of veterans of wars of the United States.

§ 3903. Military records A town may appoint a person, who need not be a resident of the town, to prepare a military record at the expense of the town, which shall contain the name of every person in the U.S. Armed Forces furnished by the town during any wars or military enterpris…

§ 3904. Printing and sale of records A town may order such records printed and kept for sale at a price not to exceed an advance of 20 percent of the cost of publication.

§ 3905. Certified copy for town clerk’s office A copy officially certified by the compiler of the record shall be kept in the office of the town clerk. (Amended 2021, No. 53, § 7.)

§ 3906. Town histories At its annual meeting, a town may authorize the selectboard to contract with some person to prepare and publish the history of the town, under such regulations as it prescribes.

§ 3907. Memorial Day and other historic events A municipality may appropriate such sums of money as it deems necessary for the proper observance of Memorial Day, for the celebration of historic events, and for the erection and dedication of monuments or tablets to commemorate the…

§ 4000. Statutory purposes The statutory purpose of the exemption for housing authorities in section 4020 of this title is to promote, provide, and preserve affordable housing. (Added 2013, No. 200 (Adj. Sess.), § 13.)

§ 4001. Declaration of policy It is hereby declared: (1) That there exists in the State unsanitary or unsafe dwelling accommodations and that persons of low income are forced to reside in such unsanitary or unsafe accommodations; that within the State there is a shortage of safe …

§ 4002. Definitions The following terms, wherever used or referred to in this chapter, shall have the following respective meanings, unless a different meaning clearly appears from the context: (1) “Authority” or “housing authority” shall mean any of the public corporations creat…

§ 4003. Housing authority; establishment (a) In each municipality there is hereby created a public body corporate and politic to be known as the housing authority; provided, however, that such authority shall not transact any business or exercise its power under this chapter, unt…

§ 4004. Housing authority, members, powers (a) When the governing body of a municipality, other than a town, adopts a resolution pursuant to section 4003 of this chapter, it shall promptly notify the mayor of such adoption. Upon receiving such notice, the mayor shall appoint five…

§ 4005. Vermont State Housing Authority; establishment, members, powers (a) The Vermont State Housing Authority is created. It is referred to in this chapter as the “State Authority.” It is a public body corporate and politic of perpetual duration and shall consist of seven commi…

§ 4006. Disqualification (a) During his or her tenure, no commissioner or employee of an authority shall acquire any direct or indirect ownership interest in any housing project or in any property included or planned to be included in any project, nor shall he or she acquire any …

§ 4007. Removal For inefficiency or neglect of duty or misconduct in office, a commissioner of an authority may be removed by the mayor (or in the case of an authority of a town, by the governing body of said town) or in the case of the State Authority, by the Governor, but a com…

§ 4008. Powers An authority shall constitute a public body, corporate and politic, exercising public and essential governmental functions, and having all the powers necessary or convenient to carry out and effectuate the purposes and provisions of this chapter, including the foll…

§ 4009. Rentals It is hereby declared to be the policy of this State that each housing authority shall manage and operate its housing projects in an efficient manner so as to enable it to fix the rentals for dwelling accommodations at the lowest possible rates consistent with pro…

§ 4010. Duties (a) In the operation of or management of housing projects an authority shall at all times observe the following duties with respect to rentals and tenant selection: (1) It may rent or lease the dwelling accommodations therein only to persons of low income or elders…

§ 4011. Joint action Any two or more authorities may join or cooperate with one another in the exercise of any or all of the powers conferred by this chapter for the purpose of financing, planning, undertaking, constructing, or operating a housing project or projects located with…

§ 4012. Eminent domain; exemption of property from execution (a) An authority shall have the right to acquire by the exercise of the power of eminent domain any real property that it may deem necessary for its purposes under this chapter after the adoption by it of a resolution d…

§ 4013. Zoning All housing projects of an authority shall be subject to the planning, zoning, sanitary, and building laws, ordinances, and regulations applicable to the locality in which the housing project is situated. In the planning and location of any housing project, an auth…

§ 4014. Bonds, issuance of (a) An authority shall have power to issue bonds from time to time in its discretion, for any of its corporate purposes. An authority shall also have power to issue refunding bonds for the purpose of paying or retiring bonds issued previously by it. (b)…

§ 4015. Bonds authorized; conversion privileges (a) Bonds of an authority shall be authorized by its resolution and may be issued in one or more series and shall bear such date or dates, mature at such time or times, bear interest at such rate or rates, be in such denomination or…

§ 4016. Bonds, powers, covenants In connection with the issuance of bonds, or the incurring of obligations under leases and in order to secure the payment of such bonds or obligations, an authority, in addition to its other powers, shall have power: (1) To pledge all or any part …

§ 4017. Rights of obligees An obligee of an authority shall have the right in addition to all other rights which may be conferred upon such obligee, subject only to any contractual restrictions binding upon such obligee: (1) By suit, action, or proceeding to compel said authority…

§ 4018. Powers may be conferred on obligee An authority shall have power by its resolution, trust indenture, mortgage, lease, or other contract to confer upon any obligee holding or representing a specified amount in bonds, or holding a lease, the right, in addition to all rights…

§ 4019. United States cooperation In addition to the powers conferred upon an authority by other provisions of this chapter, an authority is empowered to borrow money or accept grants or other financial assistance from the federal government for, or in aid of, any housing project…

§ 4020. Taxation The property of an authority is declared to be public property used for essential public and governmental purposes and such property and an authority shall be exempt from all taxes and special assessments of the State or any State public body thereof; provided ho…

§ 4021. Governmental services and contracts In connection with any housing project located within the area in which it is authorized to act, any State public body may contract with the housing authority with respect to the sum or sums, if any, which the housing authority may agre…

§ 4022. Powers For the purpose of aiding and cooperating in the planning, undertaking, construction, or operation of housing projects, located within the area in which it is authorized to act, any State public body may upon such terms, with or without consideration, as it may det…

§ 4023. Appropriation When any housing authority which is created for any municipality becomes authorized to transact business and exercise its powers therein, the governing body of such municipality shall immediately make an estimate of the amount of money necessary for the admi…

§ 4024. Exercise of authority The exercise by a State public body of the powers granted in this chapter may be authorized by resolution of the governing body of such State public body adopted by a majority of the members thereof present at a meeting of said governing body. Such r…

§ 4025. Report At least once a year, an authority shall file with the clerk a report of its activities for the preceding year and shall make recommendations with reference to such additional legislation or other actions as it deems necessary in order to carry out the purpose of t…

§ 4026. Inconsistent acts As far as the provisions of this chapter are inconsistent with any other law, including special act or municipal charter, this chapter shall control. (Added 1966, No. 69 (Sp. Sess.), § 11, eff. March 14, 1966.)

§ 4027. Joint municipal housing authorities The governing bodies of two or more municipalities may, pursuant to and in the manner set forth in section 4003 of this title, adopt a resolution to establish a housing authority for such municipalities. When the governing bodies of two…

§ 4301. Short title This chapter may be referred to as the Vermont Planning and Development Act. (Added 1967, No. 334 (Adj. Sess.), § 1, eff. March 23, 1968.)

§ 4302. Purpose; goals (a) General purposes. It is the intent and purpose of this chapter to encourage the appropriate development of all lands in this State by the action of its constituent municipalities and regions, with the aid and assistance of the State, in a manner which w…

§ 4303. Definitions The following definitions shall apply throughout this chapter unless the context otherwise requires: (1) “Affordable housing” means either of the following: (A) Owner-occupied housing for which the total annual cost of ownership, including principal, interest,…

§ 4303a. Computation of time Where an event is required or permitted to occur by this chapter before, on, or after a specified period of time measured from another event, in calculating the period: (1) the first day shall not be counted; and (2) the final day shall be counted. (A…

§ 4304. Planning and land use manual (a) The Commissioner of Housing and Community Development shall prepare, maintain, and distribute from time to time to all municipalities a manual setting forth: (1) a copy of this chapter, together with all amendments thereof; (2) examples of…