Terms Used In Vermont Statutes > Title 20 > Chapter 1 - Emergency Management

• Agency: means the Agency of Transportation. 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
• Commissioner: means the Commissioner of Public Safety. See
• Commissioner: means the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles responsible to the Secretary for the administration of the Department. See
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• 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 Public Safety. See
• Design-build contracting: means a method of project delivery where a single entity is contractually responsible to perform design, construction, and related services. See
• Director: means the Director of Vermont Division of Emergency Management. 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
• 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
• 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,
• Hazardous chemical or substance: means :

• Hazardous chemical or substance incident: means any mishap or occurrence involving hazardous chemicals or substances that may pose a threat to persons or property. See
• 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
• Homeland security: means the preparation for and carrying out of all emergency functions, other than the functions for which the U. 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
• 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: includes a municipality or State agency. See
• 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
• Personal property: All property that is not real property.
• Project: means the capital development of a facility. See
• Proposal: means a conditional offer of a private entity that, after review, negotiation, and documentation, and after legislative approval if required under this subchapter, may lead to a P3 agreement as provided in this subchapter. See
• Proposer: means an individual, firm, corporation, limited-liability company, partnership, joint venture, sole proprietorship, or other entity that submits a proposal. See
• Quality: means those features that the Agency determines are most important to the project. See
• 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
• 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
• 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 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.
• sworn: shall include affirmed. See
• Town: includes incorporated villages and cities. See
• 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
• Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
• Venue: The geographical location in which a case is tried.
• Village: shall mean an incorporated village. See