Spring is bursting with the promise of summer! Trees are leafing out, May flowers are blooming, and homeowners are powering up their lawn mowers. In this issue of the VLCT Journal you'll find timely topics including guidance for listers, safe excavation practices for public works employees, regulating short-term rentals, open enrollment for dental insurance at group rates, and more.
Some of the articles and resources linked here require members to log in to their Municipal Access Portal (MAP) account. If you need some pointers or assistance, please visit vlct.org/MAPFAQ.
|
|
|
|
The Local Officials Golf Outing is returning soon to Vermont's only municipally owned 18-hole golf course. Join colleagues and counterparts for a day away from the office — and chances to win raffle prizes no matter what your scorecard says. Register by 6/2.
|
|
Enter your town's best-looking fleet vehicle in our new contest, culminating at Town Fair '23.
|
|
Jeremy Weiss has been hard at work helping members log in to MAP. Learn more about him!
|
|
|
Now all in one place: articles and resources for common summer risk management concerns.
|
|
Your municipality should have received its link to fill out the survey. Submit your data by July 31.
|
|
|
VLCT is testing whether we can help finance non-profit economic development projects.
|
|
Submit your evidence by June 15 for a particular recipient of VLCT's three service awards.
|
|
|
PACIF’s Sewer Backup Extension coverage can help a municipality pay for property damage resulting from sewer backups, but it is only available after the homeowner’s property insurance and any other applicable insurance or coverage have been exhausted. When a backup occurs, municipal staff should speak to the affected resident factually, calmly, and in ways that won’t create unrealistic expectations and risk disappointing them. Learn how to respond.
|
|
|
|
Even if you haven't moved, we suggest you log in to your Municipal Access Portal account and put your best contact information in our database. Especially if you aren't in the municipal office every day, providing your primary postal address will help you receive useful information, such as for upcoming events, in time to act on it.
|
|
|
|
Some of the highest risk situations that a municipal employee can encounter involve repairing water or sewer lines or replacing aged or damaged culverts. This new resource from PACIF loss control staff reviews the pertinent VOSHA safety requirements and points out some disturbingly common shortcomings that we have seen in practice.
|
|
|
|
Did you know that actions and decisions by the Board of Listers must be made at a duly warned meeting? If you didn't, or if you want to know more, this article by the Municipal Assistance Center attorney Susan Senning discusses the process and the statutes that inform it.
|
|
|
|
The Office of Racial Equity and the Vermont Human Rights Commission are sharing stories and video interviews all month. Then on June 3, you can attend a community dinner and enjoy traditional and modern Asian, Asian-American, Pacific Islander, and Desi dishes followed by a panel discussion with the interviewees featured in May's video series.
|
|
|
|
Every year, the listers (or appointed assessor) prepare the town's grand list. Any person who disagrees with the listers' appraisal can request a hearing before the listers and, if still not satisfied, can appeal to the Board of Civil Authority. Visit our Property Taxes webpage for information and toolkits — one for listers & assessors and another for Boards of Civil Authority — and be sure to click the Load More button more than once to find additional resources!
|
|
Short-term rentals can be a complicated topic for local leaders. They present no shortage of challenges, affecting housing availability and affordability while impacting neighborhood health, safety, and wellbeing. The National League of Cities produced this guide to help local governments navigate this complicated area of regulation. Check out the guide.
|
|
Take the quiz, then scroll below for answers!
|
|
What insurance coverages does VLCT offer?
|
|
Property, Vehicle, and Liability
|
|
|
|
|
All of the Above – and employee benefits!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
LEDs have come a long way in recent years. What used to be a high-cost option for businesses and homes has become the standard when replacing old lighting. In fact, new federal and state laws call for only high-efficiency LED lighting to be sold starting in 2023.
As a result, Efficiency Vermont’s lighting incentives are also changing. Many of their point-of-sale and cashback offers expire on 7/1/23, and the rest expire on 12/31/23. Until then, you can get the best LED lighting incentives ever on projects up to 500 bulbs.
Click on the heading above or call Efficiency Vermont at (888)921-5990 to talk about your municipality’s lighting needs.
|
|
|
The open enrollment period for VLCT's fiscal year group Dental Insurance plans is just getting started! This means that municipalities not already offering this great employee benefit can sign up soon to add it, and those that offer it already should notify their employees that, for instance, they can now add dependents without a qualifying event. Sign up!
|
|
Thursday, May 25
10 AM – 11 AM
Valuable tips and information for benefits managers on navigating and using the EyeManage system. Register.
|
|
Thursday, May 25
12 PM – 1 PM
Questions about property tax assessment appeal hearings by BCA as well as lister and assessor roles and responsibilities are welcome during this session. Register here.
|
|
|
Thursday, June 1 (Waterbury)
Wednesday, June 14 (Lyndonville)
8 AM – 4 PM
This all-day (in-person) informative course will cover all things highway safety. Register here.
|
|
Monday, June 5
11 AM – 12 PM
Hear the results from the 2023 legislative session with Karen Horn and Gwynn Zakov. Register here.
|
|
|
Wednesday, June 7
10 AM – 11 AM
Jill Muhr, Senior Human Resources Consultant for VLCT PACIF, will delve into the various responsibilities and risks involved in managing a municipal workforce. Sign up.
|
|
Wednesday, June 28
9 AM Shotgun Start
Sign up now to golf with local officials from your town and across Vermont. Registration closes on June 2, so act quickly! Register soon!
|
|
|
Plans for Town Fair 2023 are well underway, with tried-and true elements as well as some fun new ones. See a preview.
|
|
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.
|
|
* POP QUIZ ANSWERS
All of the Above is the right answer! Visit our Risk Management Services page and explore under the Insurance menu to learn more about our two risk-sharing pools and range of desirable employee benefits.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
