House passes charter amendments for Hartford to formalize warrant night, adjust moderator terms

The Vermont House suspended its rules to take up House Bill 888 for immediate consideration and approved the measure on voice vote.The bill amends the charter of the town of Hartford to add a formal warrant-information night, codify social media as an option for posting meeting warnings, extend the terms of the town moderator and school directors, adjust an affirmative-vote threshold to three when a quorum of five is present, transfer duties for collecting delinquent taxes to the town manager or a designee, and authorize an assistant town treasurer to carry out duties if the treasurer cannot complete a term.Representative Waters Evans, speaking for the House Committee on Government Operations and Military Affairs, said the changes largely formalize practices Hartford already uses, such as the warrant-information night, and create administrative flexibility where necessary. She reported committee testimony from the bill sponsor, legislative counsel and the Hartford select board and said the committee voted to report the bill favorably.The bill was advanced through second and third readings after the House agreed to suspend the rules to consider it off the notice calendar. Third reading was ordered and the House passed H.888 by voice vote. A motion to message the action to the Senate was adopted and the House moved on to subsequent calendar items.