reglab/housing_qa huggingface dataset:
19 V.S.A. § 301
2021 Vermont Statutes|Title 19 - Highways|Chapter 3 - Town Highways|§ 301. Definitions

§ 301. Definitions|As used in this chapter:  (1) "Discontinued highway" means a previously designated class 1, 2, 3, or 4 town highway as to which, through the process of discontinuance, all rights have been reconveyed to the adjoining landowners. (2) "Legislative body" includes boards of selectmen, aldermen, and village trustees. (3) "Selectmen" includes village trustees and aldermen. (4) "Pent road" is any town highway which, by written allowance of the selectmen, is enclosed and occupied by the adjoining landowner with unlocked stiles, gates, and bars in such places as the selectmen designate. (5) "Throughway" means a highway specially designated giving traffic traveling on the throughway the right-of-way at all intersections. (6) "Town" includes incorporated villages and cities. (7) "Town highways" are class 1, 2, 3, and 4 highways:  (A) that the towns have authority to exclusively or cooperatively maintain; or (B) that are maintained by the towns except for scheduled surface maintenance performed by the agency pursuant to section 306a of this title.  (8) "Trail" means a public right-of-way which is not a highway and which:  (A) previously was a designated town highway having the same width as the designated town highway, or a lesser width if so designated; or (B) a new public right-of-way laid out as a trail by the selectmen for the purpose of providing access to abutting properties or for recreational use. Nothing in this section shall be deemed to independently authorize the condemnation of land for recreational purposes or to affect the authority of selectmen to reasonably regulate the uses of recreational trails. (Added 1985, No. 269 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 1991, No. 47, § 1; 2009, No. 50, § 89.)
19 V.S.A. § 303
2021 Vermont Statutes|Title 19 - Highways|Chapter 3 - Town Highways|§ 303. Town highway control

§ 303. Town highway control|Town highways shall be under the general supervision and control of the selectmen of the town where the roads are located. Selectmen shall supervise all expenditures. (Added 1985, No. 269 (Adj. Sess.), § 1.)
19 V.S.A. § 306a
2021 Vermont Statutes|Title 19 - Highways|Chapter 3 - Town Highways|§ 306a. Class 1 town highways; agency responsibility for scheduled surface maintenance

§ 306a. Class 1 town highways; agency responsibility for scheduled surface maintenance|(a) Unless otherwise directed by the legislative body of a municipality, the agency shall assume direct responsibility for scheduled surface maintenance of all class 1 town highways, at no expense to the municipality. The class 1 town highways shall be included in the agency's pavement management system and analyzed for resurfacing needs and considered for programming of available federal and state funds on the same basis as state highways.(b) The provisions of this section shall not affect any legislative body's jurisdiction over class 1 town highways or any municipality's responsibility for general maintenance of class 1 town highways, including spot patching, traffic control devices, curbs, sidewalks, drainage, and snow removal.(c) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, major reconstruction of class 1 town highways, beyond the usual scope of resurfacing, shall continue to be a municipal responsibility, subject to availability of federal and state aid under chapter 15 of this title and payment of the uniform local share under section 309a of this title. (Added 1993, No. 61, § 11, eff. June 3, 1993; amended 1995, No. 183 (Adj. Sess.), § 18c, eff. May 22, 1996; 2021, No. 20, § 89.)
19 V.S.A. § 307
2021 Vermont Statutes|Title 19 - Highways|Chapter 3 - Town Highways|§ 307. Minimum town budget

§ 307. Minimum town budget|Each town shall annually appropriate a highway budget equivalent to or greater than a sum of at least $300.00 per mile for each mile of class 1, 2, and 3 town highways within the town or it shall not be eligible for aid under this title. (Added 1985, No. 269 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 2001, No. 64, § 14, eff. June 16, 2001.)
19 V.S.A. § 308
2021 Vermont Statutes|Title 19 - Highways|Chapter 3 - Town Highways|§ 308. Compliance with provisions

§ 308. Compliance with provisions|A town shall not be entitled to receive money from the state under this chapter in any year until it has complied with the provisions of this chapter. (Added 1985, No. 269 (Adj. Sess.), § 1.)
19 V.S.A. § 309
2021 Vermont Statutes|Title 19 - Highways|Chapter 3 - Town Highways|§ 309. Highway work by state for towns

§ 309. Highway work by state for towns|(a) When requested by the legislative body of a municipality, the agency may, by agreement with these officials, do any construction or maintenance work on any town highway or bridge under the jurisdiction of the legislative body.(b) When requested by the legislative body of a municipality, the agency may contract the work. The agency in all such cases shall furnish plans and specifications upon which the contract shall be awarded by the legislative body or, if it has been agreed that the agency should make the contract award, the agency, to the lowest responsible bidder. All work shall be done to the satisfaction of and in accordance with the requirements of the agency.(c) Upon demand of the agency, the municipality shall reimburse the state for the municipality's share of expenditures made under this section, and the amount repaid shall be deposited into the state treasury and credited to the fund from which the cost of the work was paid. The agency is authorized to provide for the payment of interest on unpaid balances owed the state for more than 30 days after demand is made.(d) To secure reimbursement to the state for the local share of a project, the secretary and the legislative body of a municipality may enter into agreements for the deposit of municipal funds in an interest-bearing escrow account or for posting of a surety bond.(e) The agency's materials laboratory may perform tests for other units of federal, state, and local government. The agency shall be reimbursed for the costs of the tests. (Added 1985, No. 269 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 1991, No. 175 (Adj. Sess.), § 9, eff. May 15, 1992; 1993, No. 61, § 13, eff. June 3, 1993.)
19 V.S.A. § 309b
2021 Vermont Statutes|Title 19 - Highways|Chapter 3 - Town Highways|§ 309b. Local match; certain town highway programs

§ 309b. Local match; certain town highway programs|(a) Notwithstanding subsection 309a(a) of this title, grants provided to towns under the Town Highway Structures Program shall be matched by local funds sufficient to cover 20 percent of the project costs, unless the town has adopted road and bridge standards, has completed a network inventory, and has submitted an annual certification of compliance for town road and bridge standards to the Secretary, in which event the local match shall be sufficient to cover 10 percent of the project costs. The Secretary may adopt rules to implement the Town Highway Structures Program. Town highway structures projects receiving funds pursuant to this subsection shall be the responsibility of the applicant municipality.(b) Notwithstanding subsection 309a(a) of this title, grants provided to towns under the Class 2 Town Highway Roadway Program shall be matched by local funds sufficient to cover 30 percent of the project costs, unless the town has adopted road and bridge standards, has completed a network inventory, and has submitted an annual certification of compliance for town road and bridge standards to the Secretary, in which event the local match shall be sufficient to cover 20 percent of the project costs. The Secretary may adopt rules to implement the Class 2 Town Highway Roadway Program. Class 2 town highway roadway projects receiving funds pursuant to this subsection shall be the responsibility of the applicant municipality, and a municipality shall not receive a grant in excess of $200,000.00.(c) Notwithstanding subsections 309a(a), (b), and (c) of this title, a municipality may use a grant awarded under the Town Highway Structures Program or the Class 2 Town Highway Roadway Program to provide the nonfederal matching funds required to draw down a federal earmark or to match grants provided to towns under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). In all such cases, the grant shall be matched by local funds as provided in this section. The intended use of a town highway grant as matching funds for a federal earmark or for grants provided to towns under the ARRA shall not entitle a municipal grant applicant to any priority for a grant award in any fiscal year. When grants awarded under the Town Highway Structures Program or the Class 2 Town Highway Roadway Program are used to satisfy nonfederal matching requirements for federal earmarks or for grants provided to towns under the ARRA, the term "project costs" in subsections (a) and (b) of this section shall refer only to the nonfederal match for the federal earmark or for a grant provided to towns under the ARRA. (Added 1991, No. 175 (Adj. Sess.), § 10, eff. May 15, 1992; amended 1993, No. 211 (Adj. Sess.), § 14, eff. June 17, 1994; 1997, No. 144 (Adj. Sess.), § 6, eff. April 27, 1998; 2001, No. 64, § 15, eff. June 16, 2001; 2005, No. 175 (Adj. Sess.), §§ 56, 57; 2007, No. 75, § 20; 2009, No. 50, § 33; 2009, No. 110 (Adj. Sess.), § 18, eff. July 1, 2011; 2021, No. 55, § 16.)
19 V.S.A. § 309c
2021 Vermont Statutes|Title 19 - Highways|Chapter 3 - Town Highways|§ 309c. Cancellation of locally managed projects

§ 309c. Cancellation of locally managed projects|(a) Notwithstanding section 309a of this title, a municipality or other local sponsor responsible for a locally managed project through a grant agreement with the agency shall be responsible for the repayment, in whole or in part, of federal funds required by the Federal Highway Administration or other federal agency because of cancellation of the project by the municipality or other local sponsor due to circumstances or events wholly or partly within the municipality's or other local sponsor's control. Prior to any such determination that cancellation of a project was due to circumstances or events wholly or partly within a municipality's or other local sponsor's control, the agency shall consult with the municipality or other local sponsor to attempt to reach an agreement to determine the scope of the municipality's or other local sponsor's repayment obligation.(b) Within 15 days of an agency determination under subsection (a) of this section, a municipality may petition the board for a hearing to determine if cancellation of the project was due to circumstances or events in whole or in part outside the municipality's control. The board shall hold a hearing on the petition within 30 days of its receipt and shall issue an appropriate order within 30 days thereafter. If the board determines that cancellation of the project was due in whole or in part to circumstances or events outside the municipality's control, it shall order that the municipality's repayment obligation be reduced proportionally, in whole or in part. The municipality shall have no obligation to make a repayment under this section until the board issues its order. (Added 2009, No. 123 (Adj. Sess.), § 30.)
19 V.S.A. § 309d
2021 Vermont Statutes|Title 19 - Highways|Chapter 3 - Town Highways|§ 309d. Policy for municipally managed transportation projects

§ 309d. Policy for municipally managed transportation projects|(a) Except in the case of projects or project components involving unpaved highways, for all transportation projects and project phases managed by a municipality, including planning, development, construction, or maintenance, it is the policy of this state for municipalities to consider "complete streets" principles, which are principles of safety and accommodation of all transportation system users, regardless of age, ability, or modal preference. If, after the consideration required under this section, a project does not incorporate complete streets principles, the municipality managing the project shall make a written determination, supported by documentation and available for public inspection at the office of the municipal clerk and at the agency of transportation, that one or more of the following circumstances exist:  (1) Use of the transportation facility by pedestrians, bicyclists, or other users is prohibited by law. (2) The cost of incorporating complete streets principles is disproportionate to the need or probable use as determined by factors such as land use, current and projected user volumes, population density, crash data, historic and natural resource constraints, and maintenance requirements. The municipality shall consult local and regional plans, as appropriate, in assessing these and any other relevant factors. (3) Incorporating complete streets principles is outside the scope of a project because of its very nature.   (b) The written determination required by subsection (a) of this section shall be final and shall not be subject to appeal or further review. (Added 2011, No. 34, § 3.)
19 V.S.A. § 310
2021 Vermont Statutes|Title 19 - Highways|Chapter 3 - Town Highways|§ 310. Highways, bridges and trails

§ 310. Highways, bridges and trails|(a) A town shall keep its class 1, 2, and 3 highways and bridges in good and sufficient repair during all seasons of the year, except that based on safety considerations for the traveling public and municipal employees, the selectboard shall, by rule adopted under 24 V.S.A. chapter 59, and after following the process for providing notice and hearing in section 709 of this title, have authority to determine whether a class 2 or 3 highway, or section of highway, should be plowed and made negotiable during the winter. A property owner aggrieved by a decision of the selectboard may appeal to the transportation board pursuant to subdivision 5(d)(9) of this title.(b) Class 4 highways may be maintained to the extent required by the necessity of the town, the public good and the convenience of the inhabitants of the town, or may be reclassified using the same procedures as for laying out highways and meeting the standards set forth in section 302 of this title.(c) A town shall not be liable for construction, maintenance, repair, or safety of trails.(d) For class 2 and 3 highways that have routinely not been plowed and made negotiable prior to July 1, 2000, the process requirements of subdivision 302(a)(3)(B) of this title and subsection (a) of this section shall not be required. A property owner adversely affected by this subsection may request the selectboard to plow and make negotiable a class 2 or 3 town highway. However, a property owner aggrieved by a decision of the selectboard may appeal to the transportation board pursuant to subdivision 5(d)(9) of this title. (Added 1985, No. 269 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 1999, No. 156 (Adj. Sess.), §§ 29, 30, eff. May 29, 2000.)
19 V.S.A. § 311
2021 Vermont Statutes|Title 19 - Highways|Chapter 3 - Town Highways|§ 311. Class 1 and 2 highways; pavement markings

§ 311. Class 1 and 2 highways; pavement markings|The agency shall mark all paved class 1 and 2 highways with painted center lines. The selectboard promptly shall notify the district transportation administrator when these markings have been obliterated by resurfacing. (Added 1985, No. 269 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 1991, No. 175 (Adj. Sess.), § 11, eff. July 1, 1993; 1993, No. 25, § 61a, eff. May 18, 1993; 1995, No. 60, § 22, eff. April 25, 1995.)
19 V.S.A. § 312
2021 Vermont Statutes|Title 19 - Highways|Chapter 3 - Town Highways|§ 312. Use of funds; unexpended balances

§ 312. Use of funds; unexpended balances|The funds raised from town highway taxes shall not be used for any purpose other than that for which the tax was voted, subject to the provisions of this chapter. If in any year money so voted is not expended, it shall be applied for the same purpose the following year. (Added 1985, No. 269 (Adj. Sess.), § 1.)
19 V.S.A. § 313
2021 Vermont Statutes|Title 19 - Highways|Chapter 3 - Town Highways|§ 313. Restricting use of covered bridges

§ 313. Restricting use of covered bridges|The agency and the selectmen of the town where a covered bridge is located or, if parts of such a bridge are located in more than one town, the selectmen of the towns acting jointly, may restrict the use of the bridge to vehicles which are within limits as to weight, height, and width as they shall establish. The limitation shall be plainly posted at the approaches to the bridge at approximately 100 feet from each end of the bridge, and at intersections as may be required to enable operators of restricted vehicles to proceed by the most direct alternate unrestricted route. Posting shall be by means of permanent signs of a standard size of at least 24 inches by 24 inches, and with lettering not less than three inches high. (Added 1985, No. 269 (Adj. Sess.), § 1.)
19 V.S.A. § 314
2021 Vermont Statutes|Title 19 - Highways|Chapter 3 - Town Highways|§ 314. Vote at town meeting

§ 314. Vote at town meeting|In case the limitations proposed for a covered bridge are not approved by the selectmen and the agency as provided in this chapter, the selectmen of the town or towns where the bridge is located shall have the right to place the question in the warnings of the next annual or special town meeting. When the bridge is located in more than one town, the limitations must be adopted by each of the towns and when so adopted, the bridge shall be posted according to the limitations. (Added 1985, No. 269 (Adj. Sess.), § 1.)
19 V.S.A. § 315
2021 Vermont Statutes|Title 19 - Highways|Chapter 3 - Town Highways|§ 315. Penalties

§ 315. Penalties|A person who operates a vehicle exceeding the limit prescribed on a bridge thus restricted, shall be fined not more than $200.00 for the first offense and not more than $300.00 for each subsequent offense. (Added 1985, No. 269 (Adj. Sess.), § 1.)
19 V.S.A. § 316
2021 Vermont Statutes|Title 19 - Highways|Chapter 3 - Town Highways|§ 316. Removal of covered bridges; notice

§ 316. Removal of covered bridges; notice|When a town or the agency decide that the destruction or removal of a covered bridge is necessary, whether by discontinuance of the highway or to replace the bridge with another structure or for any other reason, notice of the intent to destroy or remove the bridge shall be posted by the officials in three public places in the town where the bridge is located and published on two consecutive days in a newspaper of general circulation in the town. Copies of the notice shall be sent by certified mail to the governor and the director of the division for historic preservation not less than ninety days before destruction or removal is to be started, and the date of the proposed destruction or removal shall be stated in the notice. The requirement for a ninety day warning shall not apply in the event of a serious emergency. (Added 1985, No. 269 (Adj. Sess.), § 1.)
19 V.S.A. § 317
2021 Vermont Statutes|Title 19 - Highways|Chapter 3 - Town Highways|§ 317. Preservation of historic bridges

§ 317. Preservation of historic bridges|(a) The Division for Historic Preservation within the Agency of Commerce and Community Development is authorized to accept transfer from the Agency of Transportation, towns, railroads, or other entities of bridges deemed appropriate for preservation by the Secretary of Transportation and the Secretary of Commerce and Community Development. The Division also is authorized to accept land or interests in land with each such bridge as reasonably necessary to preserve the bridge site and public access to the site.(b) Transfer of any bridge site or bridge approach to the Division for Historic Preservation under this section shall not be treated, for purposes of any law or rule of law, as an abandonment of the use of the right-of-way for highway or railroad purposes.(c) The Division for Historic Preservation may adopt such rules as are necessary to preserve, protect, and control the use of historic bridges, bridge sites, and bridge approaches.(d) The Division for Historic Preservation is authorized to purchase or lease a site or sites for the storage of dismantled historic bridges that are being preserved for possible reconstruction and reuse.(e) The Division for Historic Preservation is authorized to sell, lease, or otherwise convey the fee or lesser interest to any historic bridge. In all cases where an historic bridge is conveyed, the Division shall prescribe covenants necessary to preserve the historic integrity of the bridge. Any funds obtained from the sale, lease, or conveyance shall be used for the purposes outlined in subsection (a) of this section.(f) [Repealed.]  (Added 1993, No. 36, § 3; amended 1995, No. 190 (Adj. Sess.), § 1(a), (b); 2011, No. 153 (Adj. Sess.), § 29.)
19 V.S.A. § 318
2021 Vermont Statutes|Title 19 - Highways|Chapter 3 - Town Highways|§ 318. Local Technical Assistance Program; input from municipalities

§ 318. Local Technical Assistance Program; input from municipalities|(a) Prior to submitting a fiscal year Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) work plan to the Federal Highway Administration for approval, the Agency shall, in consultation with the Vermont League of Cities and Towns and any other person the Agency deems appropriate, solicit from all Vermont towns, villages, and cities:  (1) input on whether the Agency is providing effective municipal transportation-related technical assistance and training through the LTAP; (2) recommendations on how to improve the Agency's operation of the LTAP; and (3) recommendations for new training, technical assistance, or support functions to be provided through the LTAP.   (b) The Agency shall consider the input and recommendations received from municipalities in developing its annual LTAP work plan.(c) Upon request, the Agency shall provide the Vermont League of Cities and Towns administrative support in soliciting and collecting municipal input and recommendations. (Added 2013, No. 167 (Adj. Sess.), § 13.)
19 V.S.A. § 500
2021 Vermont Statutes|Title 19 - Highways|Chapter 5 - Condemnation for State Highway Projects|§ 500. Intent

§ 500. Intent|The purpose of this chapter is to ensure that a property owner receives fair treatment and just compensation when the owner's property is taken for State highway projects, and that condemnation proceedings are conducted expeditiously so that highway projects in the public interest are not unnecessarily delayed. (Added 2011, No. 126 (Adj. Sess.), § 2.)