Permit Compliance and Certificates of Occupancy
Vermont State law requires compliance review for all zoning and construction permits. The City issues Certificates of Occupancy (CO's) to document compliance. Put another way, the City must perform inspections to find out what happened after its permits were issued.
This is the final step in the City's permitting process, and is initiated by the permit holder. Certificates of Occupancy for all permits are required in order to sell real estate. See Project Completion for a thorough discussion of this final and required step.
For zoning permits, the term Certificate of Occupancy means "Certificate of Completion" in application. This is because CO's are required for all zoning permits, including those projects that are not specifically "occupied" such as signs and fences. So don't be fooled by the title: ALL projects require a Certificate of Occupancy.
Note: A comprehensive certificate from the City confirming on one page that a property complied with all permits issued by the City does not exist.