reglab/statecodes huggingface dataset:
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 10 - Conservation and Development › Chapter 27 - Travel and Recreation Policy › § 662. Allocation of funds

§ 662. Allocation of funds
(a) Within the limits of available funding, for every dollar raised by the private sector for travel promotion under the provisions of this chapter, the State will provide one dollar in matching funds to be allocated as follows:
(1) 75 percent of the State’s dollar will be awarded as grants to approved travel promotion chamber or association programs.
(2) 25 percent of the State’s dollar will go into the Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing’s promotion budget specifically for the purpose of executing an umbrella advertising campaign under which the private sector programs will operate.
(b) The minimum grant to be matched by any single travel promotion chamber or association is $1,000.00.
(c) The maximum grant to be matched by any single travel promotion chamber or association is $25,000.00. (Added 1979, No. 137 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. April 22, 1980.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 10 - Conservation and Development › Chapter 27 - Travel and Recreation Policy › § 663. Administration

§ 663. Administration
(a) The Department of Economic Development, through the Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing, shall administer the travel promotion matching funds program with such flexibility so as to bring about the most effective and economical travel promotion program possible. The Department shall adopt rules and procedures necessary and appropriate to the proper operation of the matching funds program. These rules shall also establish which travel promotion organizations are eligible to apply for matching funds.
(b) The Department shall make available complete instructions as to the applicant’s duties and responsibilities and shall establish forms necessary to carry out the purposes of this chapter. (Added 1979, No. 137 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. April 22, 1980; amended 1995, No. 190 (Adj. Sess.), § 1(c); 2015, No. 23, § 97.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 10 - Conservation and Development › Chapter 27 - Travel and Recreation Policy › § 664. Application procedures

§ 664. Application procedures
(a) Travel promotion organizations, applying for a matching fund grant, must present their proposed travel development promotion programs to the Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing in detail, and must further describe sources of local funds available for those purposes.
(b) Annually, the Agency, in consultation with the Travel and Recreation Council, shall establish a schedule for applying for and awarding matching funds. The Agency may establish more than one application cycle, provided that at least one competition for funds is conducted annually, and further provided that application cycles are such as to maintain a competitive matching grants program. The Travel and Recreation Council shall evaluate the relative merits of the applications based upon criteria established under this subchapter and make recommendations to the Agency as to a priority of applications which merit funding. The Secretary in consultation with the Commissioner of Tourism and Marketing shall review the recommendations of the Travel and Recreation Council and make final decisions regarding the funding of proposals under the matching grants programs.
(c) All applications will be reviewed and evaluated on the basis of the following:
(1) geographic area covered in application;
(2) scope of short- and long-range planning;
(3) program content; and
(4) projected impact on geographic area covered in application.
(d) Grants will be made to those organizations that best meet the purposes of this chapter and according to the availability of funds, but no grant will exceed the amount raised by the organization and applied to its proposed programs.
(e) Organizations receiving grants will be carefully evaluated, and risk elimination of their grants when a lack of effort, cooperation, and adherence to proposed programs is displayed. No travel promotion agency may act as a “feeder facility” simply to disburse State matching funds to a private sector business for the promotion of its private functions.
(f) Upon receiving and approving a given application, the Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing will notify the organization of the grant amount in writing and execute a contract between that organization and the Department of Development. (Added 1979, No. 137 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. April 22, 1980; amended 1987, No. 83, § 5; 1995, No. 190 (Adj. Sess.), § 1(c), (d).)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 10 - Conservation and Development › Chapter 27 - Travel and Recreation Policy › § 665. Bookkeeping systems

§ 665. Bookkeeping systems
All tourist promotion organizations will keep records of any applications, transactions, payment receipts, and correspondence relating to the implementation of the matching funds program. (Added 1979, No. 137 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. April 22, 1980.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 10 - Conservation and Development › Chapter 27 - Travel and Recreation Policy › § 666. Reimbursement procedures

§ 666. Reimbursement procedures
(a) Upon receipt in writing of satisfactory evidence of program progress and funds expended or committed, the Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing shall reimburse the organization according to its matching fund contract. Within 60 days of completion of the program, each grant recipient shall provide the Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing with the following:
(1) a completed program evaluation report on a form supplied by the Department of Tourism and Marketing,
(2) copies of all advertisements purchased,
(3) samples of any promotional material used in the program, and
(4) any other information requested by the Department of Tourism and Marketing.
(b) The Commissioner of Tourism and Marketing, may, as he or she sees fit, request interim reports on the progress of programs. (Added 1979, No. 137 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. April 22, 1980; amended 1995, No. 190 (Adj. Sess.), § 1(c), (d).)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 10 - Conservation and Development › Chapter 27 - Travel and Recreation Policy › § 667. Legislative review

§ 667. Legislative review
The Commissioner of Tourism and Marketing shall annually submit a report on the travel promotion program to the Legislature. (Added 1979, No. 137 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. April 22, 1980; amended 1995, No. 190 (Adj. Sess.), § 1(d).)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 10 - Conservation and Development › Chapter 27 - Travel and Recreation Policy › § 669. Regional travel and tourism marketing grants

§ 669. Regional travel and tourism marketing grants
The General Assembly finds that:
(1) Effective marketing of travel and tourism destinations is best performed on a regional level.
(2) The tourism business is the second largest business in the State and is predicted to grow in the future.
(3) Private sector regional travel and tourism marketing associations, with the assistance of the public sector, will encourage the growth of Vermont as a travel destination.
(4) A regional travel and tourism marketing association is best suited to identify the regions’ strengths as well as the sectors that need greater marketing assistance. Small business will be better served by a more direct contact with a local, regional travel and tourism marketing association. (Added 1995, No. 46, § 38.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 10 - Conservation and Development › Chapter 27 - Travel and Recreation Policy › § 669a. Definitions

§ 669a. Definitions
For the purposes of this subchapter:
(1) “Agency” means the Agency of Commerce and Community Development.
(2) “Commissioner” means the Commissioner of Marketing and Tourism.
(3) “Regional travel and tourism marketing association” means a nonprofit corporation, cooperative, or other nonprofit organization formed under the laws of this State whose principal purpose is to promote, organize, or accomplish the enhancement of travel and tourism for a particular region of this State, including marketing and promotional activities, technical assistance to regional travel and tourism business to enhance their marketing and promotional efforts, arrangement of conventions, trade shows, and promotional activities in order to attract the traveling public to the region, and the provision of information to the traveling public with regard to regional attractions. (Added 1995, No. 46, § 38; amended 1995, No. 190 (Adj. Sess.), § 1(a), (d).)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 10 - Conservation and Development › Chapter 27 - Travel and Recreation Policy › § 669b. Applications for regional travel and tourism marketing association grants

§ 669b. Applications for regional travel and tourism marketing association grants
A qualified regional travel and tourism marketing association may apply to the Secretary, on a form provided by the Secretary, for a grant under this chapter. The applicant may be required to submit with the application, or at any time during the grant period, any information that the Secretary determines is necessary or desirable to consider the application, assess the effectiveness of the grant, or to carry out the purposes of this chapter. (Added 1995, No. 46, § 38.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 10 - Conservation and Development › Chapter 27 - Travel and Recreation Policy › § 669c. Determination of eligibility for grant

§ 669c. Determination of eligibility for grant
The Secretary shall determine within 60 days of filing the application whether the applicant is eligible for a grant under this chapter. An applicant may be eligible for a grant if the Secretary determines, in his or her sole discretion, that:
(1) the applicant will only serve businesses located in the applicant’s region;
(2) the applicant demonstrates an ability and willingness to provide marketing, technical assistance, promotional activity, and information services in furtherance of the purposes of this subchapter;
(3) the applicant demonstrates an ability to gather information useful in evaluating the performance of the applicant in achieving the purposes of this subchapter;
(4) the applicant has letters of support from a significant number of travel and tourism businesses located in the applicant’s region;
(5) the applicant demonstrates a capability and willingness to assist each and every travel and tourism business located within the applicant’s region;
(6) the applicant appears to be the best qualified applicant to carry out the purposes of this subchapter in the applicant’s region;
(7) the grant is needed for the reasonable and necessary expenses of the association, including the employment of professional staff, as demonstrated in the proposed operating budget of the association;
(8) the applicant has adequate federal and private funds resources, as demonstrated in the proposed operating budget of the association, which together with the grant will enable the applicant to fulfill the purposes of this subchapter;
(9) the applicant presents a memorandum of understanding signed by the applicant and any regional development corporation operating in the same region demonstrating that the association and the corporation will cooperate with each other and coordinate each other’s common or related activities. (Added 1995, No. 46, § 38.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 10 - Conservation and Development › Chapter 27 - Travel and Recreation Policy › § 669d. Marketing association expenditures; reapplication

§ 669d. Marketing association expenditures; reapplication
(a) A regional travel and tourism marketing association shall use grant funds only for such purposes described in the application and approved by the Secretary under section 669c of this title. Disbursement of grant funds shall be made at such times as are specified by the Secretary. On request of the Secretary the Commissioner of Finance and Management shall issue his or her warrant and the State Treasurer shall pay the funds requested.
(b) The grant shall be approved under such terms and conditions as the Secretary may prescribe, for a period no longer than one year. The applicant may reapply in accordance with section 669b of this title.
(c) The Secretary, in his or her sole discretion, shall allocate funds appropriated for regional travel and tourism marketing associations. The Secretary shall determine the amount allocated to each regional travel and tourism marketing association after considering an association’s budgetary needs and the strength of its program as measured against the goals established in section 669b of this title. (Added 1995, No. 46, § 38.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 10 - Conservation and Development › Chapter 27 - Travel and Recreation Policy › § 669e. Cooperative efforts

§ 669e. Cooperative efforts
An association approved for a grant under this subchapter shall act in a manner that is consistent with the efforts of the Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing. A recipient association shall not deliberately and adversely affect the travel and tourism marketing efforts of another recipient association. (Added 1995, No. 46, § 38; amended 1995, No. 190 (Adj. Sess.), § 1(c).)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 10 - Conservation and Development › Chapter 27 - Travel and Recreation Policy › § 669g. Applicability of State laws

§ 669g. Applicability of State laws
(a) A regional travel and tourism marketing association approved by the Secretary under this chapter shall not be subject to the provisions of 1 V.S.A. subchapter 2 (open meetings) and subchapter 3 (public records).
(b) The provisions of 2 V.S.A. chapter 11 (lobbyist disclosure) shall apply to a regional travel and tourism marketing association. (Added 1995, No. 46, § 38.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 10 - Conservation and Development › Chapter 29 - Community Development › § 682. Intent and purpose

§ 682. Intent and purpose
(a) It is the intent of this subchapter to provide for the State administration of the federal community development block grant program as is authorized by Title I of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, as amended (42 U.S.C. § 5301 et seq.), hereinafter called the “Federal Act,” so as to meet the objectives and requirements of that title.
(b) The purpose of this subchapter is to meet the State goal and objectives so that the most effective projects in the neediest areas are funded.
(1) The goal is to improve and maintain the economic and physical environment in Vermont’s municipalities so as to enhance the quality of life for all Vermonters, particularly those of lower incomes.
(2) The objectives are to conserve, expand, and improve housing; to create and retain employment; and to improve public facilities in support of housing or economic development activities, or where there is a threat to the public health and safety. (Added 1983, No. 10, § 1, eff. March 18, 1983.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 10 - Conservation and Development › Chapter 29 - Community Development › § 683. Title

§ 683. Title
(1) As used in this subchapter:
(2) “Municipality” means a town or city. It also means an incorporated village the charter of which enables it to function as a general purpose unit of local government. It shall also mean a “nonentitlement area” as defined in Title I, Sec. 102(a)(7) of the Federal Act.
(3) “Grantee” means a municipality that receives a grant under the provisions of this subchapter.
(4) “Board” means the Vermont Community Development Board.
(5) “Agency” means the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development.
(6) “Secretary” means the Secretary of the Agency.
(7) “Legislative body” means the aldermen of a town, the board of aldermen, or the council of a city, or the board of trustees or prudential committee of an incorporated village.
(8) “Chief executive officer” means the mayor of a city; or if no mayor, the president of the board of aldermen, the chair of the city council, the chair of the board of selectboard, the president of the board of trustees, or chair of the prudential committee.
(9) “Lower income” means less than or equal to 80 percent of median income. The Secretary shall determine the best measure of median income based on statistics from federal and/or State sources. (Added 1983, No. 10, § 1, eff. March 18, 1983; amended 1995, No. 190 (Adj. Sess.), § 1(a).)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 10 - Conservation and Development › Chapter 29 - Community Development › § 684. Powers and duties of the municipalities

§ 684. Powers and duties of the municipalities
(a) In addition to the powers and authority that the municipalities have under existing law, they are hereby granted such additional authority and power, essential and incidental, as may be necessary for the administration and implementation of this subchapter.
(b) Prior to filing an application under this subchapter a municipality shall:
(1) through action by the legislative body, adopt or pass an official act or resolution authorizing the filing of the application and directing the chief executive officer or designee to act in connection with the application and to provide such information as may be required;
(2) hold at least one public hearing, after notice of at least 15 days by publication in a newspaper of general circulation in the municipality, to obtain the views of citizens on community development, to furnish the citizens with information concerning the amount of funds available and the range of community development activities that may be undertaken under this subchapter, and to give affected citizens an opportunity to examine a proposed statement of the projected use of such funds;
(3) allow citizens an opportunity to examine the application and all supporting documentation.
(c) The chief executive officer or designee shall certify that the grantee will comply with the provisions of this subchapter and with other applicable federal and state laws and rules as may be determined by the secretary. (Added 1983, No. 10, § 1, eff. March 18, 1983.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 10 - Conservation and Development › Chapter 29 - Community Development › § 685. The Vermont Community Development Board

§ 685. The Vermont Community Development Board
(a) There is created within the Agency of Commerce and Community Development the Vermont Community Development Board consisting of nine members who shall be residents of the State.
(b)(1) The members shall be appointed by the Governor for a term of three years, or for the unexpired portion thereof. For the initial appointments, the Governor shall appoint three for one year, three for two years, and three for three years.
(2) In the appointment of the members, consideration shall be given to the selection of such persons as shall adequately represent the interests of various sections of the State and the principal beneficiaries of the program.
(c) The Chair shall be appointed annually by the Governor from among the members.
(d) Members of the Board shall be entitled to receive per diem compensation and reimbursement of expenses as permitted under 32 V.S.A. § 1010, which shall be paid by the Agency.
(e) No person who receives a significant portion of his or her income directly or indirectly from the community development activities governed by this subchapter shall be a member of the Board.
(f) The Agency shall provide staff assistance and administrative support to the Board.
(g) Prior to January 15 of each year, the Board shall submit a report of its activities and grants for the preceding year to the Governor and General Assembly. (Added 1983, No. 10, § 1, eff. March 18, 1983; amended 1995, No. 190 (Adj. Sess.), § 1(a); 2019, No. 61, § 7.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 10 - Conservation and Development › Chapter 29 - Community Development › § 686. Eligibility, application, allocation of funds

§ 686. Eligibility, application, allocation of funds
(a) All funds allocated to the State, except for an amount not exceeding the maximum allowable under the Federal Act available to the State for administrative costs, shall be allocated to municipalities in an equitable and efficient manner.
(b) All municipalities, except for entitlement municipalities, shall be eligible to apply for and receive funds under this subchapter.
(c) Entitlement municipalities shall not be eligible to apply for and receive funds under this subchapter. Entitlement municipalities shall, however, have the authority to apply for and receive funds and to implement and administer a community development program as otherwise provided in the Federal Act, and this subchapter shall not be construed in any way to limit that authority.
(d) The Agency shall solicit applications from eligible municipalities. Any eligible municipality desiring to receive funds under this subchapter shall complete and submit an application in a manner as shall be prescribed by the Secretary. The Agency may require a third party credit analysis as part of the application. The applicant municipality shall pay a fee to cover the actual cost of the analysis to be deposited in a special fund that shall be managed pursuant to 32 V.S.A. subchapter 5 of chapter 7 and be available to the Agency to pay the actual cost of the analysis.
(e) The Board shall evaluate the relative merits of the applications using the allocation system established under this subchapter and make recommendations to the Secretary as to which applications merit funding.
(f) The Secretary shall review the recommendations of the board and make the final awards for grants-in-aid. (Added 1983, No. 10, § 1, eff. March 18, 1983; amended 2009, No. 47, § 7, eff. May 28, 2009.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 10 - Conservation and Development › Chapter 29 - Community Development › § 687. Allocation system

§ 687. Allocation system
The Secretary, with the advice and assistance of the Board, shall establish a system for the allocation of community development program funds.
(1) The allocation system shall be based on the intent, purpose, goal, and objectives of this subchapter.
(2) The allocation system shall be competitive and shall provide the opportunity for any eligible municipality or municipalities to compete for funding for community development projects.
(3) The system shall ensure that a wide range of community development activities shall be eligible for funding. These may include:
(A) the acquisition, rehabilitation, or expansion of housing;
(B) the creation, expansion, or retention of employment through the stimulation of private investment and community revitalization;
(C) the installation, rehabilitation, or replacement of public facilities;
(D) activities that test the feasibility of innovative approaches to community development;
(E) activities that provide timely responses to unpredictable circumstances or special development opportunities.
(4) The allocation system shall include a method through which the need for, and impact of, the projects proposed by municipalities shall be measured and shall establish a process for evaluation of the applications. (Added 1983, No. 10, § 1, eff. March 18, 1983.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 10 - Conservation and Development › Chapter 29 - Community Development › § 688. Authority to make rules

§ 688. Authority to make rules
The Secretary is hereby granted the authority to issue rules in accordance with 3 V.S.A. chapter 25 for the purpose of administering the provisions of this subchapter. (Added 1983, No. 10, § 1, eff. March 18, 1983.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 10 - Conservation and Development › Chapter 29 - Community Development › § 689. Multi-year commitments

§ 689. Multi-year commitments
(a) Those municipalities that received commitments of multi-year funds in federal fiscal year 1981 under the provisions of the Federal Act shall be assured of funding to the extent of such commitments, provided such municipalities request the State to honor such funding commitments and the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has provided the Secretary with a determination that any such municipality has performed adequately with respect to such previously distributed funds.
(b) Those municipalities eligible to receive funding under the provisions of this section and so requesting such funding shall make application to the Agency in a manner as shall be determined by the Secretary.
(c) The Secretary, with the advice and assistance of the Board, may allow the municipalities making application under this section to amend their programs to the extent that the program so amended meets the intent and purpose of this subchapter.
(d) Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 686 and 687 of this title, the Secretary may adopt separate rules for the expeditious consideration of applications and allocations made under this section. (Added 1983, No. 10, § 1, eff. March 18, 1983.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 10 - Conservation and Development › Chapter 29 - Community Development › § 690. Remedies for noncompliance

§ 690. Remedies for noncompliance
(a) If the Secretary finds, after reasonable notice and opportunity for hearing, that a grantee under this subchapter has failed to comply substantially with the provisions of this subchapter, the rules adopted under the provisions of this subchapter, or of applicable provisions of federal law, the Secretary, until he or she is satisfied that there is no longer any such failure to comply, may:
(1) terminate payments to the grantee under this subchapter; or
(2) limit the availability of payments under this subchapter under such conditions as may be established by the Secretary.
(b) In lieu of, or in addition to, any action authorized in subsection (a) of this section, the Secretary may refer the matter to the Office of the Attorney General of the State of Vermont with a recommendation that an appropriate civil action be instituted. (Added 1983, No. 10, § 1, eff. March 18, 1983; amended 2019, No. 14, § 15, eff. April 30, 2019.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 10 - Conservation and Development › Chapter 29 - Community Development › § 690a. Nonprofit revolving loan funds

§ 690a. Nonprofit revolving loan funds
(a) Any revolving loan fund lender not required to be licensed pursuant to 8 V.S.A. § 2201(d)(9) shall register and maintain its registration with the Commissioner of Economic Development, on forms and by policy and methods prescribed by the Commissioner. The Commissioner shall require such lenders to pay an annual fee of not more than $50.00 to maintain their registration.
(b) Fees collected under this section shall be credited to a special fund established and managed pursuant to 32 V.S.A chapter 7, subchapter 5, and shall be available to the Department of Economic Development to offset the costs of providing those services. (Added 1995, No. 162 (Adj. Sess.), § 40, eff. Jan. 1, 1997; amended 1997, No. 59, § 32, eff. June 30, 1997.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 10 - Conservation and Development › Chapter 29 - Community Development › § 692. Policy and purpose

§ 692. Policy and purpose
Recognizing that some communities in Vermont have failed to benefit from general economic progress and that innovative and intensive approaches to economic development should be tried and developed in up to three communities, this subchapter provides for the designation of up to three job development zones and for special economic development programs that will apply in these job development zones. (Added 1985, No. 172 (Adj. Sess.), § 1.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 10 - Conservation and Development › Chapter 29 - Community Development › § 693. Definitions

§ 693. Definitions
As used in this subchapter:
(1) “Municipality” means a town or city. It also means an incorporated village the charter of which enables it to function as a general purpose unit of local government.
(2) “Agency” means the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development.
(3) “Secretary” means the Secretary of the Agency.
(4) “Population” means the most recent population of a municipality as determined by the Vermont Department of Health.
(5) “Per capita income” means the total adjusted gross incomes of residents of a municipality divided by total exemptions claimed by residents of that municipality, as reported to the Vermont Department of Taxes in the most recent year for which data is available.
(6) “Employment loss” means the absolute decline in the annual average number of insured private sector employees in the municipality during the most recent 12-month period for which data is reported by the Vermont Department of Labor compared to the same 12-month period five years earlier.
(7) “Area unemployment rate” means the average monthly unemployment rate over the most recent two-year period for which data is available, of the labor market area of which a municipality is a part, as reported by the Vermont Department of Labor. (Added 1985, No. 172 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 1995, No. 190 (Adj. Sess.), § 1(a); 2005, No. 103 (Adj. Sess.), § 3, eff. April 5, 2006.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 10 - Conservation and Development › Chapter 29 - Community Development › § 694. Eligibility; application procedure

§ 694. Eligibility; application procedure
(a) A municipality shall be eligible to apply for job development zone status if it has a population of at least 2,000 and meets two of the following three criteria:
(1) it has a per capita income at least ten percent lower than the statewide per capita income;
(2) it has had an employment loss;
(3) it has an area unemployment rate at least 33 percent higher than the statewide rate.
(b) The Agency shall solicit applications from eligible municipalities. Any eligible municipality desiring to receive designation as the job development zone shall complete and submit an application in a manner as shall be prescribed by the Secretary.
(c) Applications for job development zone status will be rated by the Vermont Community Development Board established by section 685 of this title on the basis of applicants’ ability to implement and administer a successful job development zone program, the quality of applicants’ plans for conducting a job zone program, the level of support and commitment of resources demonstrated by the applicant during the application process, and the need of the applicant community for job development zone status.
(d) The job development zone may geographically include a municipality or a portion of a municipality, or a combination of contiguous municipalities or portions of municipalities if so approved by the Secretary.
(e) The Secretary shall review the recommendations of the Vermont Community Development Board and make the final designation of the job development zones. (Added 1985, No. 172 (Adj. Sess.), § 1.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 10 - Conservation and Development › Chapter 29 - Community Development › § 695. Authority to make rules

§ 695. Authority to make rules
The Secretary is hereby granted the authority to issue rules in accordance with 3 V.S.A. chapter 25 for the purpose of administering the provisions of this subchapter. (Added 1985, No. 172 (Adj. Sess.), § 1.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 10 - Conservation and Development › Chapter 29 - Community Development › § 696. Reporting and expiration

§ 696. Reporting and expiration
(a) Designation as job development zone under this subchapter will apply until December 31, 1992.
(b) Prior to January 15 of each year, the Secretary of Commerce and Community Development shall submit a report on job development zone activities for the preceding year to the Governor and General Assembly. Prior to January 15, 1992, the Secretary of Commerce and Community Development shall submit a comprehensive evaluation of the performance of the job development zone program to the Governor and General Assembly. (Added 1985, No. 172 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 1987, No. 213 (Adj. Sess.); 1995, No. 190 (Adj. Sess.), § 1(b).)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 10 - Conservation and Development › Chapter 29 - Community Development › § 697. Incentives and initiatives

§ 697. Incentives and initiatives
The following incentives and initiatives shall be available to new or expanding business entities located within the job development zones:
(1) [Repealed.]
(2) Preferential consideration from the Vermont Economic Development Authority as set forth in sections 233, 253, and 263 of this title.
(3) Targeted assistance under the Job Training Partnership Act, to the extent allowable by federal law.
(4) Targeted assistance under the Vermont Training Program as set forth in chapter 22 of this title.
(5) Funding for the purpose of program implementation to the regional development corporation which includes a job zone. The funding shall be through increased grants to economic development corporations provided for in 24 V.S.A. § 2784(a).
(6) Infrastructure assistance as set forth in section 698 of this title.
(7) Technical assistance from the Agency of Commerce and Community Development to develop applications for community development block grant and urban development action grants, rural development action grants, and other community improvement and economic development grants and to assist businesses with permits and licenses.
(8) Direct, localized assistance from small business development center. (Added 1985, No. 172 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 1993, No. 89, § 3(a), eff. June 15, 1993; 1995, No. 190 (Adj. Sess.), § 1(a); 2015, No. 57, § 98.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 10 - Conservation and Development › Chapter 29 - Community Development › § 698. Infrastructure improvement program

§ 698. Infrastructure improvement program
(a) A municipality that is within a designated job development zone shall be eligible to receive a payment each year from the Agency of Commerce and Community Development to reimburse annual interest costs on indebtedness for economic development related infrastructure projects approved after July 1, 1986. Annual reimbursement payments shall be limited to $1,000,000 of indebtedness in a designated job development zone. The Agency shall require the municipality to submit an amortization schedule and proof of payment of its annual interest payment on bonds. The Agency shall not reimburse a municipality for infrastructure projects unless requests for payment are received within three months after the end of the fiscal year.
(b) Economic development related infrastructure projects shall include water supply, pollution abatement, and highway facilities and such other municipal facilities as may be established by rule under section 695 of this chapter. (Added 1985, No. 172 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 1995, No. 190 (Adj. Sess.), § 1(a).)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 10 - Conservation and Development › Chapter 31 - Soil Conservation Act › § 701. Policy

§ 701. Policy
It is hereby declared to be the policy of the Legislature to provide for the conservation, development, and use of the natural resources of this State and that the lands, water, forests, and wildlife of the State of Vermont are among the basic assets of the State, and that the preservation of these lands, water, forests, and wildlife by conservation, development, and use is necessary to protect and promote the health, safety, and general welfare of its people. (Amended 1967, No. 303 (Adj. Sess.), § 1, eff. March 22, 1968.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 10 - Conservation and Development › Chapter 31 - Soil Conservation Act › § 702. Definitions

§ 702. Definitions
Wherever used or referred to in this chapter unless a different meaning clearly appears from the context:
(1) “Council” or “State Natural Resources Conservation Council” means the Agency created in section 703 of this title;
(2) “District” or “natural resources conservation district” means a corporate body and governmental subdivision organized in accordance with the provisions of this chapter;
(3) “Union” or “supervisory union” means the agency created in accordance with section 803 of this title;
(4) “Due notice” means notice published once a week for two consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation within the proposed district, stating the time and place of such meeting and questions to be voted on, the last publication being not less than two days before such meeting, or ten days’ notice by mail, postage prepaid, addressed to the owners of land within the proposed district, stating the time and place of such meeting and questions to be voted on;
(5) “Owner” means any person, firm, or corporation who shall hold title in fee to one or more acres of land lying within a district organized under the provisions of this chapter. (Amended 1963, No. 79, § 1 (b), eff. May 7, 1963; 1967, No. 303 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. March 22, 1968.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 10 - Conservation and Development › Chapter 31 - Soil Conservation Act › § 703. State Natural Resources Conservation Council; members; duties

§ 703. State Natural Resources Conservation Council; members; duties
A State Natural Resources Conservation Council is hereby established to serve as an Agency of the State to perform the functions conferred upon it in this chapter, which shall have as members: the Director of the State Extension Service, or a designated representative; the Secretary of Agriculture, Food and Markets, or a designated representative; the Secretary of Natural Resources, or a designated representative; and one member elected by the board of each supervisory union who is a supervisor for a district within the union or their officially elected alternate. Until such time as there are four unions, the Governor shall appoint members who shall be supervisors from districts not in a union to make a total of four whose terms of office shall be two years. In addition the Chair of the State Forests and Parks Board, or a designated representative; the Chair of the State Fish and Wildlife Board, or a designated representative; and the Director of the State Planning Office or a designee shall be advisory members. The Council may invite the secretary of agriculture of the United States to appoint one person to serve with the above mentioned members in an advisory capacity only. The Council shall keep a record of its official actions, shall adopt a seal, which seal shall be judicially noticed, and may perform such acts, hold public hearings, and adopt rules as may be necessary for the execution of the functions under this chapter. (Amended 1959, No. 329 (Adj. Sess.), § 11(c), eff. March 1, 1961; 1967, No. 303 (Adj. Sess.), § 3, eff. March 22, 1968; 1981, No. 122 (Adj. Sess.); 1981, No. 222 (Adj. Sess.), § 4; 1983, No. 158 (Adj. Sess.), eff. April 13, 1984; 1987, No. 76, § 18; 1995, No. 163 (Adj. Sess.), § 1, eff. May 15, 1996; 2003, No. 42, § 2, eff. May 27, 2003.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 10 - Conservation and Development › Chapter 31 - Soil Conservation Act › § 704. Powers of Council

§ 704. Powers of Council
The State Natural Resources Conservation Council may employ an administrative officer and such technical experts and such other agents and employees as it may require. The Council may call upon the Attorney General of the State for such legal services as it may require, or may employ its own counsel. It shall have authority to delegate to one or more of its members, or to one or more agents or employees, such powers and duties as it may deem proper. If designated as a clean water service provider under section 924 of this title, provide for the identification, prioritization, development, construction, inspection, verification, operation, and maintenance of clean water projects in the basin assigned to a natural resources conservation district in accordance with the requirements of chapter 37, subchapter 5 of this title. (Amended 1959, No. 329 (Adj. Sess.), § 11(c), eff. March 1, 1961; 1967, No. 303 (Adj. Sess.), § 16, eff. March 28, 1968; 1971, No. 191 (Adj. Sess.), § 11; 2019, No. 76, § 6.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 10 - Conservation and Development › Chapter 31 - Soil Conservation Act › § 705. Chair, quorum, compensation, surety bonds

§ 705. Chair, quorum, compensation, surety bonds
The Council shall designate its chair, and may, from time to time, change the designation. A member of the Council shall hold office so long as the member retains the office by virtue of serving on the Council. A majority of the Council shall constitute a quorum, and the concurrence of the majority in any matter within their duties shall be required for its determination. The members appointed by the Governor or the members representing each of the unions or their officially elected alternates shall receive compensation for services at a rate not to exceed the per diem rate as defined by 32 V.S.A. § 1010(b) for time spent on the work of the Council in addition to expenses, including traveling expenses, necessarily incurred in the discharge of the duties of the Council. The Council shall provide for the execution of surety bonds for all employees and officers entrusted with funds or property. (Amended 1959, No. 329 (Adj. Sess.), § 11(c), eff. March 1, 1961; 1963, No. 193, § 14, eff. June 28, 1963; 1967, No. 303 (Adj. Sess.), § 4, eff. March 22, 1968; 1995, No. 163 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. May 15, 1996.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 10 - Conservation and Development › Chapter 31 - Soil Conservation Act › § 706. Funds; allocation of by Council

§ 706. Funds; allocation of by Council
Unless otherwise provided by law, any funds appropriated by the State or any federal agency to the State Natural Resources Conservation Council for allocation to districts organized under the provisions of this chapter shall be available for the administrative and other expenses of the districts. The Council shall allocate such money among the districts already organized or likely to be organized during a biennial fiscal period in such manner and in such amounts as shall be fair, reasonable, and in the public interest; due consideration being given to the total acreage of land within each district, to the greater relative expense of carrying on operations within the particular districts because of such factors as unusual topography, unusual conservation measures needed as approved in the district work plan, special difficulty of carrying on operations, the volume of work to be done, and the special importance of instituting conservation operations immediately. The Council may also allocate funds to unions for administrative and other expenses. In making allocations of monies, the Council shall reserve an amount estimated by it to be adequate to enable it to make subsequent allocations in accordance with the provisions of this chapter, from time to time, among unions and districts that may be organized after the initial allocations are made, but within the ensuing biennial fiscal period. Subject to the requirements of 32 V.S.A. § 5 regarding approval of the acceptance of any sum of money, the Council is authorized to accept contributions in the furtherance of the work contemplated by this chapter including grants in aid from any agency of the federal government, from government or private institutions and sources and make agreements with such federal agency as to the terms and conditions of the use of such grants in aid. (Amended 1959, No. 329 (Adj. Sess.), § 11(c), eff. March 1, 1961; 1967, No. 303 (Adj. Sess.), § 5, eff. March 22, 1968; 1995, No. 163 (Adj. Sess.), § 3, eff. May 15, 1996.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 10 - Conservation and Development › Chapter 31 - Soil Conservation Act › § 708. Districts; unions; expenditure statement; duties of Council

§ 708. Districts; unions; expenditure statement; duties of Council
(a) The supervisors of the respective districts and directors of the respective unions, twice during each fiscal year, shall submit statements to the Council as to expenditures made and estimates as to expenditures likely to be incurred to the end of the fiscal year, such statements to be made at such times and in such manner as the Council may require.
(b) In addition to the duties and powers hereinafter conferred upon the Council, it shall:
(1) Offer appropriate assistance to the supervisors and directors of districts and unions;
(2) Keep the supervisors and directors of each district and union organized under this chapter informed of the activities and experience of all other districts and unions and facilitate an interchange of advice and experience between districts and unions;
(3) Coordinate the programs of the districts and unions so far as this may be done by advice and consultation;
(4) Secure the cooperation and assistance of the United States and any of its agencies and of agencies of this State in the work of districts or unions;
(5) Disseminate information throughout the State concerning the activities and programs of the districts and unions organized hereunder;
(6) Act upon petition by any two or more districts lying within the limits of the territory proposed to be organized into a union asking that a supervisory union be organized to function in the territory described in the petition;
(7) Supervise and oversee annual election of district supervisors. (Amended 1959, No. 329 (Adj. Sess.), § 11(c), eff. March 1, 1961; 1967, No. 303 (Adj. Sess.), § 7, eff. March 22, 1968; 1995, No. 163 (Adj. Sess.), § 4, eff. May 15, 1996.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 10 - Conservation and Development › Chapter 31 - Soil Conservation Act › § 709. Petition to organize district

§ 709. Petition to organize district
Any 25 owners of land lying within the limits of the territory proposed to be organized into a district may file a petition with the State Natural Resources Conservation Council asking that a natural resources conservation district be organized to function in the territory described in the petition. (Amended 1959, No. 329 (Adj. Sess.), § 11(c), eff. March 1, 1961; 1963, No. 79, § 1(b), eff. May 7, 1963; 1967, No. 303 (Adj. Sess.), §§ 15(b), 16(b), eff. March 22, 1968.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 10 - Conservation and Development › Chapter 31 - Soil Conservation Act › § 710. Hearing on petition

§ 710. Hearing on petition
Within 30 days after such a petition has been filed with the State Natural Resources Conservation Council, it shall cause due notice to be given of a proposed hearing upon such petition as to the necessity, in the interest of the public health, safety, and welfare, for the creation of such district, and upon all questions relevant to such petition. All owners of land within the limits of the territory described in the petition and all other interested parties shall have the right to attend such hearings and to be heard. If it shall appear upon the hearing that it may be desirable to include within the proposed district territory outside of the area within which due notice of the hearing has been given, the hearing shall be adjourned and due notice of further hearing shall be given throughout the entire area considered for inclusion in the district and such further hearing held. (Amended 1959, No. 329 (Adj. Sess.), § 11(c), eff. March 1, 1961; 1967, No. 303 (Adj. Sess.), § 16(b), eff. March 22, 1968.)