On February 26, 2025
Local News

Chittenden town will begin issuing parking tickets

By Brett Yates

Earlier this month, the Chittenden Select Board approved a motion to start giving out $50 tickets to illegally parked cars on Wildcat Road. The town’s road foreman had already ordered signs that would warn drivers not to leave their cars in the roadway.

“People go up there to go cross-country skiing, and they park in the road, and the plow trucks can’t get by,” Road Commissioner Dave Sargent said. “If the plow truck can’t get by, probably the ambulance and the fire truck can’t get by.”

But municipal government in Vermont isn’t so simple. When local officials contacted the Pittsford Police Dept., which Chittenden contracts for patrol services, they learned that towns can’t enforce parking regulations unless they’ve adopted a parking ordinance.

“They can give warnings right now, but they can’t actually give tickets, and they can’t actually tow anyone,” Select Board Chair Kathie Pratt said.

When a municipality adopts an ordinance, it must post the text “in at least five conspicuous places” and publish it (or “a concise summary”) in a local newspaper, according to state law. It takes effect after 60 days — unless residents gather signatures in opposition from 5% of local voters, in which case it goes to a townwide vote.

Chittenden officials have not yet drafted an ordinance, but Select Board members agreed informally on Feb. 24 to get started on one. They expect it to name each town road in which parking restrictions will apply, and Wildcat Road may not be the only one.

“We have to decide how far we want to go,” Pratt said.

Do you want to submit feedback to the editor?

Send Us An Email!

Related Posts

Bill Vines and Jay Hickory win special election

May 28, 2025
On Wednesday, May 28, Killington residents voted to fill two new seats on its Select Board. Voters approved expanding the board from three to five members on Town Meeting Day. Bill Vines beat David McComb for the two-year seat (253-55 with 4 write-ins) while Jay Hickory beat Jon Wysocki for the one-year seat (190-124 with…

Meg Budusky’s Grounded Yoga Studio has a stretch goal for everyone

May 28, 2025
By James Kent MENDON — A new yoga studio has quietly opened its doors along Route 4 in Mendon, already creating waves of calm and community. Grounded Yoga Studio, founded by longtime local Meg Budusky, officially opened May 5 and offers a welcoming alternative to the more intense fitness-driven yoga environments. Grounded Studio is located…

Community breaks ground on Maplewood Commons: 30 permanently affordable apartments coming to Rutland

May 28, 2025
RUTLAND — Local officials, nonprofit leaders, and community members gathered in Rutland on Wednesday, May 21, to celebrate the groundbreaking of Maplewood Commons Apartments. This new 30-unit housing development will provide permanently affordable homes for families. The project is a joint effort by Cornerstone Housing Partners and Evernorth, two nonprofit organizations dedicated to creating and…

Killington Select Board candidates call for financial audit to move forward

May 28, 2025
By Polly Mikula On Wednesday, May 28, Killington residents will head to the polls to vote on who will fill two new seats on its Select Board. Voters approved expanding the board from three to five members on Town Meeting Day. Bill Vines and David McComb are running for the two-year seat while Jon Wysocki…