TOWN OF SWANTON
SUMMARY OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY ORDINANCE
On February 3, 2026 the Selectboard of the Town of Swanton adopted a Public Health and Safety Ordinance that is applicable for all properties in the Town and Village of Swanton. There exists in our community structures, buildings and parcels of land that have become dangerous or unsafe and numerous other structures that are vacant abandoned, and in disrepair.
The purpose of this article is to establish the reasonably necessary measures to abate the public nuisances, blight, negative housing market impact, and other harmful effects connected with dangerous and vacant or abandoned buildings, structures and land, consistent with the authority vested in the Town to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public through regulation of the construction, maintenance, repair, and alteration of buildings, structures and properties within the Town.
Building and property owners shall ensure that measures have been undertaken, whether the building or property is occupied or not, to secure the building or structure by following specified maintenance standards outlined in the ordinance.
If, upon inspection, the Building Safety Officer determines that a building, premises, structure or anything attached or connected therewith, or any hazardous condition appears to endanger the public safety, the Building Safety Officer shall commence an abatement action by issuing a Safety Order to remedy the situation.
The Safety Order may be appealed to the Selectboard.
Failure to comply with the Safety Order will result in fines and other court action as outlined in the ordinance
The Ordinance also establishes Vacant Building Standards to ensure that the building remains secure and will not have intrusion by trespassers or deteriorate by the weather conditions. Also to ensure that allowing the building to remain will not be detrimental to the public health, safety and welfare, will not unreasonably interfere with the reasonable and lawful use and enjoyment of other premises within the neighborhood, and will not pose an extraordinary hazard to police officers or firefighters entering the premises in times of emergency.
The Ordinance may be read it its entirety on our website www.swantonvt.gov or by requesting a copy of it from the Town Administrator, Brian Savage at 802-868-7418 or via email: townadmin@swantonvermont.org. The ordinance will be posted at the Swanton Town Offices, Swanton Village Offices, Swanton Post Office, M & T Bank and Swanton Public Library.
The Ordinance will be effective April 15, 2026.
Brian K. Savage
Town Administrator