Every municipal board, council, commission, and committee (see examples listed below) is required to comply with Vermont’s Open Meeting Law. Learn – or review – the basic requirements of the law, including:
The requirements of the temporary provisions enacted in 2024 allowing remote and hybrid meetings will also be discussed.
Event date: 3/23/2024
This training will help newly elected selectboard members succeed in your position by explaining foundational information on three key topics:
For returning selectboard members this training can serve as a refresher.
The federal government released a new edition of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highway (the MUTCD) in December 2023. The 11th Edition revises how speed limits are set, recommends a “safe systems” approach, and doubles its focus on bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure.
The MUTCD defines the standards used by road managers nationwide to install and maintain traffic control devices on all streets, highways, pedestrian and bicycle facilities, and site roadways open to public travel. It is a compilation of national standards for all traffic control devices, including road markings, highway signs, and traffic signals. That familiar red, octagonal stop sign seen across the nation is a result of the MUTCD. Complying with the MUTCD’s standards helps protect transportation agencies, including municipalities, from liability and ensures that they comply with rules for federally funded projects.
The MUTCD is updated periodically to accommodate the country's changing transportation needs and to address new technologies, traffic control tools, and traffic management techniques.
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, a.k.a. the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, required the Federal Highways Administration (FHWA) to update the MUTCD to provide for the protection of vulnerable road users and support for the safe testing of automated vehicle technology, among other considerations. The updated MUTCD doubled the size of the section on bicycle and pedestrian-oriented infrastructure.
The updated MUTCD also includes:
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act required that the MUTCD be updated every four years to ensure its standards and guidelines are responsive to the needs of the traveling public and to new technologies.
Vermont adopted the previous MUTCD as its standard. It has until January 18, 2026 to adopt this version or have a state MUTCD/supplement that is in substantial conformance with the national manual.
The Municipal Assistance Center has compiled many topical model templates related to policies and ordinances deemed most helpful for municipalities. At member request we have compiled a list of our current available models for your quick reference.
Model Policies
Model Ordinances | |
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This training is designed especially for local officials who are involved in both the planning and zoning aspects of local land use. It includes a mix of legislative and hot topic updates in addition to nuts-and-bolts training relevant for newly appointed members of:
June 22 – Part Two: Zoning Focus
This training is designed especially for local officials who are involved in both the planning and zoning aspects of local land use. It includes a mix of legislative and hot topic updates in addition to nuts-and-bolts training relevant for newly appointed members of:
June 14 – Part One: Planning Focus 9:30 AM – 12 PM
Preparing for Your Audit, Part II
In the second in a three-part series, Sarah Macy, VLCT's Government Finance Specialist continues her discussion of how to set yourself up for success as the end of the fiscal year approaches. Tasks unique to June will include:
In this session, learn about the responsibilities and risks involved in managing a municipal workforce. Jill Muhr, VLCT PACIF's Senior Human Resources Consultant,
The selectboard’s responsibilities related to town finances are often the most daunting. This training begins with a high-level overview of the selectboard’s legal responsibilities regarding finances and then dives deeper into the basics of governmental accounting. Selectboard members will learn the concepts and definitions that are most helpful to govern their town, including why and how governmental accounting is different from the private sector, different types of funds, and how to read government financial statements.
Every municipal board, council, commission, and committee is required to comply with Vermont’s Open Meeting Law, including all the types of public bodies listed below.
VLCT’s Carl Andeer, Staff Attorney II, VLCT Municipal Assistance Center, reviews the basic requirements of the law, including:
