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Municipal Assistance Center

Town Meeting Tune-Up

Edward Chase, Westford Town Moderator from 1988 to 2023, deconstructs the annual town meeting process step by step. Ed explains the basic role and responsibilities of the moderator and reviews the most common types of motions and amendments used at town meetings, pursuant to the Robert’s Rules of Order 12th Edition (2020). 

This training is for town moderators who will conduct a traditional annual meeting from “the floor.” Other officials who will assist their moderator may also find information in this training useful. 

MUTCD Road Standards Update Designed to Improve Safety

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.

What is the MUTCD?

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.

What Has Changed?

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.

  • Speed limits setting – Currently, speed limits must be set based on an engineering study. The 85th-percentile speed is no longer the sole consideration for setting speed limits. The new standard recommends weighing six factors when setting speed limits: the roadway environment, roadway characteristics, geographic context, crash experience, speed distribution, and an analysis of speed trends.
  • New types of bicycle facilities – The updated MUTCD specifically refers to a Bikeway Selection Guide that FHWA released in 2019. Separated bicycle lanes are in the MUTCD for the first time, and there are good illustrations of how to do them and to manage them at intersections. Painting bicycle lanes green and introducing special traffic signals for cyclists now have been endorsed.
  • Standardizing pedestrian-oriented devices – The updated document includes standards for the location of push buttons for people with disabilities at signalized intersections, along with standardized crosswalk markings and audible signals.

The updated MUTCD also includes:

  • New signing options for directions to electric vehicle charging stations.
  • New section addressing automated vehicles.
  • Safety and operational improvements - New criteria for warning signs for horizontal alignment changes, and new application of traffic control devices for part-time travel on shoulders to manage congestion.

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.

What is the Effective Date for Complying With the MUTCD Updates?

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.

Publication Date
01/08/2024

VLCT Model Templates: Policies and Ordinances

Member for

2 years 5 months
Submitted by hlaw on
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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 

 
 
 
 
 

Zoning Administrator 101

The role of zoning administrator (ZA) can vary from town to town, but Vermont law defines the standard minimum duties each must fulfill. This session covers the source, scope, and limits of those statutory duties. The speaker, a former ZA himself, provides information on other zoning administrator responsibilities and special issues that ZAs may encounter. This foundational training is most useful for new zoning administrators but is also a valuable refresher for veterans. 

Locally Elected Auditors Training

Each year, as municipal budgets grow and sources of revenue become more diverse, the task of auditing municipal financial records becomes more difficult. Current Vermont law doesn’t require locally elected auditors to have any education or experience in bookkeeping or accounting. This training will provide an overview of legal requirements of the annual elected auditors’ report as well as information to help elected auditors fulfill their responsibilities under Vermont law.

VLCT Member Guide

The benefits of VLCT membership are so diverse and deep that we have developed this lively, friendly summary, the 2025 VLCT Member Guide. It can be especially helpful for new officials just getting acquainted with VLCT and all that we offer.

As a member, when you have a question or need a service, feel free to call us at 800-649-7915 or email info@vlct.org.

Publication Date
05/07/2025
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