Terms Used In Vermont Statutes > Title 19 > Chapter 9 - Repairs, Maintenance, and Improvements

• Adaptive electric cycle: means an electric bicycle or an electric cargo bicycle that has been modified to meet the physical needs or abilities of the operator or a passenger. See
• Agency: means the Agency of Transportation. See
• Agency of Education: means the Secretary and staff necessary to carry out the functions of the Agency. See
• All-hazards: means any natural disaster, health or disease-related emergency, accident, civil insurrection, use of weapons of mass destruction, terrorist or criminal incident, radiological incident, significant event, and designated special event, any of which may occur individually, simultaneously, or in combination and that poses a threat or may pose a threat, as determined by the Commissioner or designee, to property or public safety in Vermont. See
• Allegation: something that someone says happened.
• Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
• Appropriation: The provision of funds, through an annual appropriations act or a permanent law, for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps: authorization
• Approved independent school: means an independent school that is approved under section 166 of this title. See
• Bicycle: means every pedal-driven device propelled by human power having two or more wheels on which a person may ride, including a so-called pedal vehicle that may have an enclosed cab. See
• Board: means the Transportation Board. See
• Commissioner: means the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles responsible to the Secretary for the administration of the Department. See
• Commissioner: means the Commissioner of Public Safety. See
• Common law: The legal system that originated in England and is now in use in the United States. It is based on judicial decisions rather than legislative action.
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• complete streets: means streets that provide safe and accessible options for multiple travel modes for individuals of all ages and abilities, including walking, cycling, public transportation, and motor vehicles. See
• comprehensive health education: means a systematic and extensive elementary and secondary educational program designed to provide a variety of learning experiences based upon knowledge of the human organism as it functions within its environment. See
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
• Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• Department: means the Department of Motor Vehicles. See
• Department: means the Department of Public Safety. See
• Develop: means the partition or division of any tract of land of any size by a person through sale, lease, transfer, or any other means by which any interest in or to the land or a portion of the land is conveyed to another person that will require the construction of permanent new or enlarged points of access to a State or town highway other than a limited access facility pursuant to subsection 1702a(a) of this title; excluding, however, tracts of land located entirely within a city or incorporated village. See
• Director: means the Director of Vermont Division of Emergency Management. See
• District: means a geographic subdivision of the State primarily established for maintenance purposes. See
• Domestic: when applied to a corporation, company, association, or copartnership shall mean organized under the laws of this State; "foreign" when so applied, shall mean organized under the laws of another state, government, or country. See
• Electric cargo bicycle: means a motor-assisted bicycle, as defined in 23 V. See
• Emergency functions: include services provided by the Department of Public Safety, firefighting services, police services, sheriff's department services, medical and health services, rescue, engineering, emergency warning services, communications, evacuation of persons, emergency welfare services, protection of critical infrastructure, emergency transportation, temporary restoration of public utility services, other functions related to civilian protection, and all other activities necessary or incidental to the preparation for and carrying out of these functions. See
• Emergency management: means the preparation for and implementation of all emergency functions, other than the functions for which the U. See
• Employee: means a person employed by the Department. See
• EPCRA: means the federal Emergency Planning and Community Right-To-Know Act, 42 U. See
• Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
• Ex officio: Literally, by virtue of one's office.
• Fees: shall mean earnings due for official services, aside from salaries or per diem compensation. See
• Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
• following: when used by way of reference to a section of the law shall mean the next preceding or following section. See
• Gift: A voluntary transfer or conveyance of property without consideration, or for less than full and adequate consideration based on fair market value.
• Grand jury: agreement providing that a lender will delay exercising its rights (in the case of a mortgage,
• Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
• Hazardous chemical or substance: means :

• highway: includes rights-of-way, bridges, drainage structures, signs, guardrails, areas to accommodate utilities authorized by law to locate within highway limits, areas used to mitigate the environmental impacts of highway construction, vegetation, scenic enhancements, and structures. See
• Highways: include all facilities defined in subdivisions 1(12), (20), and (23) of this title. See
• Homeland security: means the preparation for and carrying out of all emergency functions, other than the functions for which the U. See
• Independent school: means a school other than a public school, which provides a program of elementary or secondary education, or both. See
• Indictment: The formal charge issued by a grand jury stating that there is enough evidence that the defendant committed the crime to justify having a trial; it is used primarily for felonies.
• inhabitants: shall mean the population of the political division referred to, as ascertained by the national census last completed before the time when such population is a material fact. See
• Joint committee: Committees including membership from both houses of teh legislature. Joint committees are usually established with narrow jurisdictions and normally lack authority to report legislation.
• Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
• Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). ^{Source: OCC}
• Municipality: shall include a city, town, town school district, incorporated school or fire district or incorporated village, and all other governmental incorporated units. See
• Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
• Person: shall include any natural person, corporation, municipality, the State of Vermont or any department, agency, or subdivision of the State, and any partnership, unincorporated association, or other legal entity. See
• Person: includes a municipality or State agency. See
• Personal property: All property that is not real property.
• Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.
• Radiological incident: means any mishap or occurrence involving radiological activity that may pose a threat to persons or property. See
• road: shall include bridges thereon and their approaches. See
• Scenic road: means any road designated pursuant to this title. See
• School district: means town school districts, union school districts, interstate school districts, city school districts, unified union districts, and incorporated school districts, each of which is governed by a publicly elected board. See
• School district: means a school district organized as a town school district, city school district, incorporated school district, or union school district, unless clearly inapplicable. See
• Secretary: means the head of the Agency who shall be a member of the Governor's Cabinet responsible directly to the Governor for the administration of the Agency. See
• Secretary: means the Secretary of Education. See
• Selectboard: includes village trustees and city councils. See
• State: when applied to the different parts of the United States may apply to the District of Columbia and any territory and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. See
• State Board: means the State Board of Education established by chapter 3 of this title. See
• State Police: means the sworn law enforcement officers who are employees of the Department. See
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• Statute of limitations: A law that sets the time within which parties must take action to enforce their rights.
• Superintendent: means the chief executive officer of a supervisory union and each school board within it. See
• Supervisory union: means an administrative, planning, and educational service unit created by the State Board under section 261 of this title, that consists of two or more school districts; if the context clearly allows, the term also means a supervisory district. See
• sworn: shall include affirmed. See
• Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
• Town: shall include city and wards or precincts therein; "selectboard members" and "board of civil authority" shall extend to and include the mayor and aldermen of cities; "trustees" shall extend to and include bailiffs of incorporated villages; and the laws applicable to the inhabitants and officers of towns shall be applicable to the inhabitants and similar officers of all municipal corporations. See
• Town: includes incorporated villages and cities. See
• Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
• Union school district: means a municipality formed under the provisions of this chapter that is governed by a single publicly elected board and that is responsible for the education of students residing in two or more towns in the grades for which the district is organized by:

• Venue: The geographical location in which a case is tried.
• Village: shall mean an incorporated village. See