Municipal Airports

V.S.A. tit. 5, ch. 15, subch. 1

in effect

5 V.S.A. § 601 Joint acquisition and operation; lease

601. Joint acquisition and operation; lease One or more municipalities may individually or jointly acquire real property by purchase, lease, or condemnation for the purposes of this subchapter. They may establish, construct, equip, maintain, and operate an airport, landing field, or air navigation facility and may lease or sublet the same for a term of not more than 20 years. Added 1985, No. 222 (Adj. Sess.), § 2.

5 V.S.A. § 602 Resolution; joint committee

602. Resolution; joint committee The resolution providing for such action shall be adopted by the legislative body of the municipality or municipalities, as defined in 24 V.S.A. § 2001. If there is more than one municipality, they shall create an intermunicipal committee as their joint agent to be at all times composed of members of each of the bodies to acquire necessary real property, in the name of the municipalities jointly, and to have charge of the construction, equipment, maintenance, and operation of the airport or landing field. Added 1985, No. 222 (Adj. Sess.), § 2.

5 V.S.A. § 603 Details of resolution

603. Details of resolution The resolution may specify matters as to which the action of the committee shall require the joint approval of the bodies. It shall also prescribe the proportions of the cost of the project to be borne by the municipalities respectively. The monies to pay the share to be borne by each municipality may be provided in the manner prescribed by this subchapter. Added 1985, No. 222 (Adj. Sess.), § 2.

5 V.S.A. § 604 Extension of boundaries; abandonment; location

604. Extension of boundaries; abandonment; location The resolution may be amended from time to time with the concurrence of each of the bodies, and the boundaries of the airport or landing place may be extended or the project abandoned in like manner at any time. A joint airport or landing place established under this subchapter shall be within the county in which the municipalities or one of them is located. Added 1985, No. 222 (Adj. Sess.), § 2.

5 V.S.A. § 605 Single municipality; adjacent state

605. Single municipality; adjacent state A single municipality may direct an appropriate officer, board, or body to acquire or lease real property or may set apart and use real property owned by the municipality that, in the judgment of its legislative body, is not needed for any other public use, whether originally acquired by condemnation or purchase. The site for an airport or landing field must be approved by the legislative body. Sections 601-604 of this title shall apply to a single municipality as well as to two or more municipalities, provided that the legislative body of each municipality shall provide for the action by resolution. A municipality of this State is authorized to join with a municipality of an adjacent state for the purpose of this subchapter in which instance the provisions of this subchapter shall apply except as to acquisition of property in an adjacent state by condemnation proceedings. Added 1985, No. 222 (Adj. Sess.), § 2.

5 V.S.A. § 606 Vote; income; issuance of notes or bonds

606. Vote; income; issuance of notes or bonds An airport or landing field shall not be established or constructed, or equipped, maintained, or improved by a municipality, acting either singly or jointly with one or more other municipalities, unless and until a proposition fixing the maximum amount that may be expended by the municipality for such establishment, construction, equipment, or improvement has been submitted to an annual or special meeting of the municipality and adopted by a majority vote of the qualified voters voting on the proposition. A municipality may use and expend all income derived from the operation of the airport or landing field for maintenance and upkeep of the airport or landing field and pledge its credit and issue notes or bonds for the purposes of this subchapter in accordance with the provisions of the general law or the charter applicable to the municipality. Added 1985, No. 222 (Adj. Sess.), § 2; amended 2021, No. 105 (Adj. Sess.), § 18, eff. July 1, 2022.

5 V.S.A. § 607 Acquisition by federal government

607. Acquisition by federal government The cities and towns of this State owning or operating a municipal airport, in order more readily to cooperate with the federal government to further national defense, are hereby empowered by their legislative bodies to lease or sell and convey to the United States or any proper department of the United States an airport for use as a government air base for the purposes of national defense and by the lease are hereby empowered to enter into any agreements with the United States or any department of the United States as the United States or the department may require for the purposes of national defense and the legislative body of the municipality may deem just and to grant to the United States the right, title, interest, control, and management for such purposes as the United States might acquire by the right of eminent domain and condemnation proceedings. Provision shall be made in such lease for adequate compensation for any damages that may be caused to private rights or interests in the airport that may arise by reason of the provisions of the lease, and provision shall also be made in the lease for the preservation of the use of the airport for civilian air commerce as the requirements of the government will permit, the purpose of the provisions of this section being to obviate the necessity of the government resorting to condemnation proceedings. In the event that any airport is sold to the United States under the provisions of this section and section 608 of this title for the purposes of national defense, the municipality shall be relieved from any obligations to hold the airport or any part of the airport for public use on reasonable terms and without discrimination. In the event the airport is leased to the federal government for the purpose of national defense, the municipality shall be relieved for the duration of the lease from any obligations to hold the airport or any part of the airport for public use on reasonable terms and without discrimination. Added 1985, No. 222 (Adj. Sess.), § 2.

5 V.S.A. § 608 Relations with federal government

608. Relations with federal government Municipalities of this State owning or operating a municipal airport are hereby empowered to: (1) accept grants, loans, and assistance subject to Agency approval from the federal government for the construction, repair, improvement, and development of airport properties owned by the municipality or municipalities; (2) cooperate with and contract in the name of the municipality or municipalities with the United States in reference to the construction, maintenance, development, or control of airport properties; (3) contract with the federal government in reference to the future development, use, or maintenance of airport properties; (4) match federal funds to the extent provided by federal law and grant relocation assistance and payments in the instances and on the conditions set forth by federal law and regulations when federal funds are available to provide relocation assistance and payments to persons displaced as a result of federal and federally assisted programs. Added 1985, No. 222 (Adj. Sess.), § 2.

Source: Vermont General Assembly (legislature.vermont.gov)URL: https://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/chapter/05/015Fetched: 10/21/2026