Resident Services

Yes, in most situations you will need a permit to use fireworks or to burn brush on your property.

Campfire Definition

Act 162 now establishes a statewide definition of a campfire. A campfire is defined as a fire 36 inches in diameter or less that is built in stone arches, outdoor fireplaces, or existing fire rings, or fires 36 inches in diameter or less built in a location that is 200 feet or more from any forestland, or field containing dry grass or other flammable plant materials contiguous to forestland. Per state statute, campfires do not require a Permit to Kindle Fire but may be banned by the FPR Commissioner during periods of elevated fire risk.

Burn Permits

Burn permitting can now be done by contacting the East Montpelier Fire Department:

Troy Seckington – Forest Fire Warden
Email: Chief@emfd.org
Department Cell: 802-917-3249

Kaden Giroux – Deputy Forest Fire Warden
Email: Kgiroux@emfd.org
Department Cell: 802-917-3360

Thomas Parker – Deputy Forest Fire Warden
Email: Tparker@emfd.org

Fireworks Permits

The town has a Fireworks Ordinance based on state statute that mandates a fireworks permit for any use and discharge of fireworks with Calais. Calais is part of the East Montpelier Fire Department District (EMFD). Their Fire Chief is in charge of the permitting process. An application for a permit must be submitted at least 15 days in advance of the planned fireworks use date. Please start this process by calling the EMFD at 225-6245 or 225-6247 or by contacting the chief directly at Chief@emfd.org or 802-917-3249.

Visit Calais’s Zoning Regulations page for more information.

How do I register to vote and vote at an election?

Town Meeting is held at Calais Elementary, 321 Lightening Ridge Rd on the first Tuesday of March. All other elections in Calais take place either at the Town Office 3120 Pekin Brook Rd, or Town Hall, 1662 Kent Hill Rd. You can find information about specific elections on our Town Elections page.

To register to vote or to update your voter information, go to https://vote.vermont.gov/public/dashboard. 

You can also come to the Town Office and register to vote with a paper form. You must be 18, or turning 18 by the election date. You must be a Calais resident.

The state of Vermont offers a couple of different ways to post your land.

• You can post a “Safety Zone” that creates a 500-ft no hunting buffer around all of the buildings on your property. Signs are available at no charge from the Town Office.
• If you would like to extend the posting beyond the space around your buildings, you’ll want to register with the state through the Town Office. This land posting registration must be renewed annually to remain current. The process involves a brief form and a $5 fee and provides you with the backing of law enforcement in the event of unwanted hunting, trapping, and fishing. You’ll need to purchase or make your own signs; they are available from most hardware stores. These signs need to be posted every 400 ft or less along your property lines (or along the lines within which you are forbidding people from hunting, trapping, or fishing).

See “What Posting Means” from the VT Department of Fish & Wildlife for more information. 

If the road problem is an emergency that is dangerous and life-threatening, call 9-1-1.
Please visit the Highway Department page for more information on how to reach the Road Commissioner, Operations Manager, and Town Garage.

Meeting schedules are posted on the Home Page website calendar, and on bulletin boards at the Town Office, Maple Corner Store, and East Calais Store. Meetings are generally held at the Town Office, the Town Hall, or the Calais Recreational Hall. Check notices for locations.

The regular schedule of board & committee meetings, unless posted otherwise, is as follows:

Selectboard: 2nd and 4th Monday of every month, 6 pm
Planning Commission: 1st & 3rd Tuesday of every month, 7 pm
Development Review Board: As needed (Check home page calendar.)
Ordinance Advisory Committee: 3rd Monday of the Month, 6 pm
Conservation Commission: 4th Tuesday of the month
Cemetery Commission: 4th Wednesday of the month, every other month October through May — check calendar
Calais Historic Preservation Commission: As needed (Check home page calendar.)
All meetings are open to the public. Contact the chair (listed on website) if you have an issue for the commission or board to review.

Visit the Calais Cemetery Commission’s page to learn more about cemetery plot prices, Cemetery Sexton contact information, Commission meetings, list of cemeteries in Calais, and green burials.