Position Description for City of Burlington
Representative to Green Mountain Transit Commission
GMT is a regional transit authority that has the powers of a municipal corporation and is created under state law, 24 V.S.A. §5101 to 5110. Its purpose is to operate or provide for the operation of land transportation facilities. Burlington’s City Council appoints two representatives to the commission governing GMT. Those commissioners have the following duties and authority:
- To exercise the powers, duties, and authority of the transit authority;
- To appoint a transit director and such other personnel as are necessary to conduct business;
- To prescribe the duties of staff and fix their compensation;
- To delegate to staff any responsibilities for the management and control of the transit authority as the commissioners deem to be in the interests of the organization;
- To prepare an annual budget on or before Feb. 15;
- To hold a meeting of the residents of the member municipalities to present the budget;
- To prepare (or cause staff to prepare) an annual report, including a financial statement, and submit it to each of the member municipalities.
In addition, GMT policy states the representatives’ obligations as follows:
- To attend meetings regularly (a notice is sent to the member municipality if a commissioner misses three meetings in a year);
- To “make policy in accordance with the direction provided by their community and the mission of GMT;”
- To set annual goals for GMT.
The representatives will be appointed for a three year term and will serve at the pleasure of the City Council.
Historically, the GMT commissioners regularly meet on the third Tuesday of every month at GMT’s administrative office at 7:30 am.
In addition, commissioners will be expected to:
- Attend all scheduled meetings, or if a meeting must be missed, let the chairperson know ahead of the meeting if they will not be able to attend;
- Review any materials provided to the commissioners ahead of time;
- Notify the chairperson and/or any staff person assigned to the commissioners of any accommodation for a disability that may be required in order for the person to serve;
- Act from a spirit of cooperation and with respect towards other commissioners, GMT staff members, representatives of the city, and members of the public appearing before the commissioners;
- Avoid actual or apparent conflicts of interest or bias;
- When deciding a controversy or responding to a request, conduct themselves in a fair and impartial manner;
- Comply with all aspects of the Vermont Open Meeting and Access to Public Records laws;
- Consider fairly the interests of all individuals and organizations whose interests may be affected by their actions as a representative of the city;
- Report back to the City Council as requested;
- Follow any policies or rules established by the GMT commissioners.
