Snowmobile/ATV Ordinance

TOWN OF SHEFFIELD ORDINANCE REGULATING SNOWMOBILE and ALL TERRAIN VEHICLES


Revised May 2015

 

Section I AUTHORITY.

Under authority granted in 24 V.S.A. Chapter 59, 24 V.S.A. 3210 and 3510, the Select Board of the Town of Sheffield hereby adopts the following ordinance regulating the manner and location of operation of snowmobile and all-terrain vehicle within the town.

 

Section II PURPOSE.

The purpose of this ordinance is to protect the health and safety of operators of snowmobile and all-terrain vehicles and of the residents of the Town to protect the animals, property and environment of the Town.

 

Section III DEFINITIONS

 

A. “Snowmobile” means any non-highway recreational vehicle with specifically designed for use for cross-country travel on snow covered trails and natural terrain.

B. “All-terrain vehicle, or “ATV”, means any non-highway recreational vehicle, with at least four rubber tires, excluding snowmobiles and dirt bikes, when used for cross-country travel on trails or on any one of the following or a combination thereof: water, snow, ice, marsh, swampland and natural terrain.

C. “Operate” shall include any attempt to operate and shall be construed to cover all matters and things connected with the presence and use of all-terrain vehicle whether they are in motion or at rest.

 

Section IV OPERATION

A. All snowmobiles and ATV’s must be registered and operated according to the requirements of 23 V.S.A. Chapter 29 (1) and Chapter 31

B. All ATV’s operated in Sheffield must carry liability insurance.

C. Persons operating ATV’s must be at least 16 years of age unless accompanied by a parent or guardian.

D. ATV’s may only be operated between the hours of 7:00 A.M. and 10:00 P.M.

E. Snowmobiles and All-terrain vehicles may be operated on the following Highways:

Class IV roads, unless posted otherwise.

Class III roads, unless posted otherwise

Class II roads, unless posted otherwise

F. Speed limits for snowmobiles and ATV’s while operating on town highways will be a maximum of 25 MPH and all snowmobiles and ATV’s must be in single file, follow all traffic rules and control devices that apply to the Town Highway.

G. A valid VASA plate must be properly attached to all ATV’s.

1. Application may be made to the Select Board for exceptions based on Agricultural uses or other special circumstances.

 

Section V PENALTIES

         First offense………………………..………. $50.00, waiver fee $35.00

         Second offense………………………..……. $100.00, waiver fee $70.00

         Third and each subsequent offense………… $250.00, waiver fee $225.00

 

Section VI ENFORCEMENT

This is a civil ordinance and shall be enforced by law enforcement officials through the Judicial Bureau.

 

Section VII SEVERABILITY

If any section of this ordinance is held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, such finding shall not invalidate any other part of this ordinance.

 

Section VIII EFFECTIVE DATE

This ordinance shall become effective immediately after its adoption by the Sheffield Select Board. If a petition is filed under 24 V.S.A. 1973, that statute shall govern the taking effect of this ordinance.

 

Adopted this_____day of May, 2015 by the Sheffield Select Board

Town Plan Australian Ballot Warning

By Erika Lavallee • February 7, 2025
This is a subtitle for your new post

Town Meeting Warning

By Erika Lavallee • February 7, 2025
Warning for the 2025 Annual Meeting Town of Sheffield, Vermont Tuesday, March 4, 2025, at 10:00 am Town Hall, Sheffield Notice to Voters: Residents of Sheffield, who are not already on the voter checklist, may register to vote up to and including the date of the vote, March 4, 2025, no later than 10:00 AM at the entrance to the Town Meeting. The legal voters of the Town of Sheffield, Caledonia County, Vermont are hereby warned and notified to meet at the Sheffield Town Hall in Sheffield on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, at 10 o’clock in the forenoon to transact the following business: Article 1 To elect a moderator for the ensuing year. Article 2 To elect other town officers necessary to fill any vacancies, including the following: a. Selectman for a term of three (3) years. b. Lister for a term of three (3) years. c. Auditor for a term of three (3) years. d. Constable for the ensuing year. e. Town agent for the ensuing year. f. Agent to convey real estate for the ensuing year. g. Trustee of public funds for the ensuing year. h. Sexton for the ensuing year. i. Planning Commissioner for a term of three (3) years. j. Planning Commissioner for a term of three (3) years. Article 3 To see if the Town will accept the reports of the Town officers. Article 4 To see if the Town will appropriate the sum of $7685.00 to help support the following organizations: Caledonia Home Health and Hospice 1,100 Cobleigh Library 1,200 Fairbanks Museum 1,017 NEK Council on Aging 330 Darling Meal Site 500 NEK Human Services 738 NEK Youth Services 300 RCT (Rural Community Transportation 1,000 Umbrella 500 Village Improvement Society/ Powers Park 1,000 $7685 Warning for the 2025 Annual Meeting Town of Sheffield, Vermont, page 2 Article 5. a. Shall the Town apply a percentage of the supplemental payments received in 2025 from Vermont Wind, LLC (should this actually be Brookfield Renewables, LLC?) as calculated in the Vermont Wind, LLC, Supplemental Payment Information page included in this report, to pay the town’s general and highway expenses thereby reducing the property tax rate for taxpayers of the town? b. If the vote on Article 6a is affirmative, what shall the percentage be, with the remainder being deposited into the Vermont Wind, LLC, Fund, which was established at the 2012 Town Meeting? Article 6. Shall the taxpayers of the Town of Sheffield appropriate a sum of money not to exceed $265,00.00 for the purchase of a new plow truck in FY 2026. Article 7. To see if the Town will authorize the Select Board to apply any surplus accumulated during the year 2024 in the general checking account to defray Town general expenses during 2025. Article 8. To see if the Town will authorize the Select Board to apply any surplus accumulated during the year 2024 in the highway checking account to defray Town highway expenses during 2025. Article 9. To see if the Town will approve the proposed general, highway, and land, equipment, and buildings (capital) budgets in the combined amount of $779,749.14 for General use and maintenance of Town Highways. Article 10. To see if the Town will have real and personal property taxes paid to the Treasurer and set the due date of Friday, November 07, 2025. Article 11. To transact any other business that may properly come before this meeting. Article 12. To adjourn. Dated at Sheffield, Caledonia County, Vermont this 25th day of January 2025. Attest: Sheffield Board of Selectmen Erika Lavallee Walter Smith _________________________ _____________________________ Erika Lavallee Walter Smith, Chairperson Town Clerk and Treasurer Erik Lavallee _____________________________ Erik Lavallee Cynthia Roy ______________________________ Cynthia Roy  Public Notice Sheffield Town Residents Posted February 5, 2025 Notice is hereby provided to the Town of Sheffield legal voters to change the time of town meeting from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm on subsequent Town Meeting days. Voting will be by Australian ballot on March 4, 2025. Voting will take place at Town Meeting, starting at 10 AM, or from 9 AM to 7 PM at the Sheffield Town Hall, 3210 VT-122, Sheffield, VT 05866.
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