CHARTER REVISION COMMITTEE

TOWN HALL

June 6, 2006    7:30 PM

 

Present: Chair Alyson Vecchiarelli, Vice Chair Jordan Chatis, members Bill Kirkpatrick, Brad Pellissier, and Janet Starr.  Selectman Ernie Allsup, Town Treasurer Ed Sullivan, Townsperson Tony Pelligrini.

 

Call to Order: Chair Alyson Vecchiarelli called the meeting to order at 7:32.

 

Approval of Minutes:  The minutes of 5/30/06 were unanimously approved.

 

Public Comment:  Tony Pelligrino spoke in favor of keeping the positions of Town Treasurer and Tax Collector elected rather than changing them to appointed.

 

Correspondence: 

            The first letter from Mr. Ed Jekot was noted as official correspondence and will be included in the records of the CRC.

            Members read the letter from Town Attorney Landolina, which responded to several queries from the previous meeting.  The letter was then used in our deliberations for issues under Old Business.

 

Old Business:

a. Filling mid-term vacancies on Boards and Committees

            A motion was made, seconded, and passed unanimously to strike the last sentence from section 5.3, changing the section as follows:

From… The number of members of any political party who may be appointed to any appointive board shall not exceed the number prescribed by General Statutes.   If a person vacating an appointive board was appointed as a member of a political party, the vacancy shall be filled by a member of the same political party.

To… The number of members of any political party who may be appointed to any appointive board shall not exceed the number prescribed by General Statutes.

 

b.  Filling mid-term vacancies on the Board of Selectmen

            A motion was made, seconded, and passed unanimously to make the following changes in the last sentence of section 2.1b:

From…If a person vacating an elective board was elected as a member of a political party, the vacancy shall be filled by a member of the same political party.

To…If a person vacating an elective board, excluding the Board of Selectmen, was elected as a member of a political party, the vacancy shall be filled by a member of the same political party; or if no such person can be found within 30 days, the vacancy may be filled by any eligible person so long as the number of any one political party on the board does not exceed the number prescribed by the General Statutes.  

 

c.  Commencement of terms

            A motion was made, seconded, and passed, with Chatis, Pellisier, and Kirkpatrick voting aye and Starr abstaining, to make the following changes to section 5.2a:

            A motion was made, seconded, and passed unanimously to make the following changes to section 5.2a:

From…The terms of appointment to any appointive board shall not exceed six years and shall commence 30 days after the term of the Board of Selectmen begins and shall be established to expire as nearly as possible at regularly staggered intervals.

To…The terms of appointment to any appointive board shall not exceed six years and shall commence on December 22nd following appointment by the Board of Selectmen; and shall expire on December 21st at the end of the term of appointment.

            A motion was made, seconded, and passed unanimously to make the following changes to section 5.2b:

From…Despite the expiration of his term, a member of an appointive board shall continue to hold office until his successor has been appointed and qualified.

To… At the expiration of a term, a member of an appointive board shall continue to hold office until a successor has been appointed and qualified.

 

A motion was made seconded, and passed unanimously to move item F under old business to consideration at this time.

 

f.  Sale of purchase of real estate

            A motion was made, seconded, and passed unanimously to make the following changes to section 7.7:

From…The acceptance or abandonment of roads by the town, the sale or disposition of real estate of the town used or reserved for town purposes and the purchase or other acquisition of real estate for such purpose shall require approval of a Town Meeting.  the sale of real estate not used for town purposes shall be in accordance with an ordinance adopted by Town Meeting.

To…The acceptance of any road, easement, open space or other interest in real estate recommended by the Planning Commission as part of a subdivision approved under the Town’s subdivision regulations shall be by a majority vote of the Board of Selectmen.  Any other acquisition or sale of real estate, including the conveyance of real estate for no consideration, shall require approval of a town meeting.

 

d.  Elected v. Appointed Treasurer, Tax collector, Town Clerk

            After extensive discussion, a motion was made, seconded, and passed unanimously to make the following changes to section 3.1:

From…At each biennial election there shall be elected a Board of Selectmen, consisting of a First Selectman, a Second Selectman, and a Third Selectman, a Town Treasurer, four Constables, and a Collector of Taxes.

To… At each biennial election there shall be elected a Board of Selectmen, consisting of a First Selectman, a Second Selectman, and a Third Selectman.

            A motion was made, seconded, and passed unanimously to insert the following as sections 5.20 and 5.21 and change present section 5.20 to 5.22:

Section 5.20  Treasurer  There shall be a Treasurer serving a term of two years.  The Treasurer shall act as the Director of Finance and the Chief Financial Officer of the Town and shall perform all duties and functions prescribed to Town Treasurers in the Connecticut General Statutes and shall report to the Board of Selectmen.  The Treasurer shall be appointed by a panel comprised of two members of the Board of Finance, one member of the Board of Selectmen, and one outside individual with a background in finance.  The outside member of the panel shall be chosen by the three other panel members.

Section 5.21 Collector of Taxes  There shall be a Collector of Taxes serving a term of two years.  The Collector of Taxes shall perform all duties and functions prescribed to Tax Collectors in the Connecticut General Statutes and shall report to Director of Finance.  The Collector of Taxes shall be appointed by a panel comprised of two members of the Board of Finance, one member of the Board of Selectmen, and one outside individual with a background in Finance.  The outside member of the panel shall be chosen by the three other panel members.

 

Public Comment:

            None

 

Discussion of tasks

            Alyson will draft the document of changes approved by the CRC and e-mail it to us to review before the next meeting.

 

Adjournment:

The meeting was adjourned at 9:29.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

 

Bill Kirkpatrick

Secretary