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The winter season is fully upon us with snow storms, craft fairs, holidays, skiing, and everything that colder weather brings. This issue of the VLCT Journal includes our legislative preview and 2024 legislative priorities, a resource about holiday displays on town property, a reminder for winter road maintenance, our 2024 schedules for events and holiday closures, plus much more. Follow our Facebook page for more news, updates, and announcements: facebook.com/VTLeague.

Houselessness in Vermont This new resource lays out some of the issues our communities face related to the houselessness crisis and attempts to help municipalities understand the legal implications to consider when developing policies and regulations that are intended to reduce houselessness. Learn more.

ICYMI

Have You Switched Your Lights Yet? Certain types of fluorescent light bulbs cannot be sold in Vermont after 12/31/23. Minimum Wage Increases Beginning 1/1/24, Vermont's minimum wage for non-tipped workers will increase to $13.67/hr.

$15M of Flood Loans Feature Interest Relief This program reduces the interest that flooded municipalities will pay on short-term loans. Town Meeting Resources Use this webpage as your one-stop shop for all things Town Meeting.

2024 Municipal Legislative Priorities See the important topics we'll focus our lobbying efforts on in 2024. ADA 101 for Municipalities (On Demand) Comply with the ADA to better serve your residents and prepare for grant opportunities.

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2024 Events and Training Schedule Save the dates and plan your training schedule for 2024. A variety of trainings are already planned, and even more are in the works. Use this schedule to mark your calendar. Registration opens four weeks before most events and prices for PACIF members start at only $10. Visit the month-by-month list. 

FEATURED RESOURCES & ARTICLES

PACIF Rates and Looking Ahead 2023 has been a challenging year on many fronts. In this article, VLCT Risk Management Services Deputy Director Fred Satink discusses the reasons why many PACIF members saw a rate increase for 2024 (higher reinsurance costs is the biggest cause) and what you can do to manage your risk (talk to your loss control consultant) to help keep your rates as low as possible in 2025 and beyond. See the details.

Don't Lose Any of Your ARPA $$$ March 2024 marks the three-year anniversary of the passage of the American Rescue Plan Act. VLCT's goal is that no Vermont municpality loses even one cent of their funds. If an ARPA project with obligated funds fails to launch by 12/31/26, the funds must be returned to the U.S. Treasury Department. Don't let that happen! Learn how to keep your $$$.

Understanding Winter Road Maintenance Requirements Road classification governs which roads have to be plowed in the winter and which roads the town has more discretion about keeping clear and maintained. Learn more about your options and see resources related to this topic – the Model Class 4 Highway Policy and our Limiting Winter Town Highway Maintenance Info Sheet – by reading this short seasonal article. Review the responsibilities.

2024 Legislative Preview Several factors will make this legislative session feel different from the past few years. Rest assured, VLCT will be working hard to follow the issues that matter to you and advocate for municipal needs. With new webpages where you can read about the issues by topic, a lobbying consultant to help with the Weekly Legislative Report, and the biweekly video chats set to resume soon, we're ready to go. Read more about what's coming.

Holiday Displays on Town Property The use of town property for a holiday display may have significant legal and political implications. When a town exhibits religious symbols or messages, it may be violating the U.S. Constitution’s Establishment Clause. VLCT Staff Attorney Susan Senning explains what you should consider with this issue. She also suggests being aware of any precedent you might set and creating a plan or policy for how you'll manage future requests. Illuminate your knowledge.

Family Medical Leave Insurance Arrives July 1 First offered to State of Vermont employees, this voluntary insurance will be made available to non-state public and private employers with two or more employees beginning July 1. Representatives from The Hartford and the State of Vermont will join us on January 18 to provide VLCT members with an overview as well as details regarding this new coverage. Explore this new employee benefit. 

POP Quiz Take the quiz! What does FMLI stand for? Family Mileage Level Indicator Select First Medical Leave Inspection Select Family Medical Leave Insurance Select NLC: What Leaders Can Learn from the FBI Crime Report Analysis It is important for municipal leaders to know whether or not their local law enforcement agencies are submitting their data to the National Incident-Based Reporting System (and in turn whether the statistics encompass their local story). It is also important to have ongoing and consistent conversations with residents about crime and safety – and for municipal leaders to use consistent messaging throughout the organization. The director of NLC's Justice Initiatives program offers several strategies to reduce the potential for local governments to get on the wrong side of misinformation about safety and crime. Read more and learn strategies.

More Resources

Arriving Soon in Your Mailbox! The 2024 PACIF and VERB wall calendar will soon arrive in municipal mailboxes. Use it to note your office's important dates and activities and to keep track of key dates relating to VLCT and its two risk-sharing trusts. Get acquainted with PACIF and VERB.

FEATURED UPCOMING EVENTS

Town Meeting Warning and Model Articles Wednesday, January 10 10 AM – 11 AM Learn the basic legal requirements of the Town Meeting Warning and how to use VLCT’s model articles. Register. Town Meeting Australian Ballot Voting Wednesday, January 17 10 AM – 11 AM Learn the basic legal requirements and deadlines for Australian ballot voting. Register.

Intro to Family and Medical Leave Insurance Thursday, January 18 10 AM – 11 AM Learn about a very new and completely voluntary employee benefit that employers can start offering as soon as 7/1/2024. Register. Town Meeting Tune-Up (Hybrid) Wednesday, February 7 9 AM – 12 PM Zoom – or – Best Western, Waterbury This training is for town moderators and assisting officials who will conduct a traditional annual meeting from “the floor.” Register for webinar or in-person.

Click for All VLCT Events

December and 2024 Holiday Office Hours VLCT will be closed on Monday and Tuesday, December 25 & 26 in observance of the Christmas Eve and Christmas Day holidays. Members with claim emergencies during this time should call (802) 272-5331. This number is for emergencies only. You can also report your claim online.

About VLCT Journal  Looking for something you saw in a previous issue? You can easily find all issues of the VLCT Journal at vlct.org/journal. As always, be sure to follow us on social media and regularly check the updated home page of our website for breaking news and announcements. Please contact us at vlctnews@vlct.org with any comments or suggestions for upcoming content.

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* POP QUIZ ANSWERS FMLI = Family Medical Leave Insurance. Learn more.