Charter Recommendations to the Board of Selectmen

1
Charter Recommendations to the Board of Selectmen

• Submitted by
• By-Law Review Committee
• August 10, 2009
• Michael Bouchard John Giger
• Peter Cunningham Steve Webber
• Mark Haddad
• www.townofgroton.org

2
Charter RecommendationsProcess Summary

• BLRC Public Input Sessions July 16 20
• Recommendations to Selectmen August 10
• -----------------------------------------------
• Selectmen Public Hearing August 24
• Warrant Article Submitted September 1
• Town Meeting Vote October 19
• Mass Legislature Oct. to March
• Town Ballot Acceptance May, 2010

By-Law Review Committee
3
Summary of Recommendations

• Article 3 Elective Offices
• All offices reviewed regarding policy making
  and technical qualifications
• 3-1 (a) Recommend these offices to become
  appointed
• Office Why
• Highway Surveyor Incorporate into DPW
• Tree Warden Incorporate into DPW
• Constable Assess qualifications
• Board of Assessors Assess qualifications
• DPW Department of Public Works

4
Not Concluded..

• Article 3 Elective Offices (..continued)
• Board of Water Commissioners (3 members)
• Board of Sewer Commissioners (3 members)
• Create a combined Board of Water and Sewer
  Commissioners
• 5 elected members
• Responsible for rate setting and capacity
  management
• Point of management coordination
• Reorganize Water and Sewer operations into the
  DPW
• Some operational savings
• Structure in place should operational
  responsibilities increase
• Diligence required to avoid co-mingling

5
Summary of Recommendations

• Board of Selectmen Article 3
• 3-2(b) . 5 (new) Signing of the Warrants
• Authorize the Selectmen to delegate signing of
  the payroll and accounts payable warrants to the
  Town Manager
• 3-2 (d) Appointing Authority
• Add these offices to Selectmen appointing
  authority
• Conservation Commission
• Council on Aging
• Housing Partnership
• Local Cultural Council
• and other committees as required by state
  statute to be appointed by the Board of Selectmen

6
Summary of Recommendations

• Town Manager Article 4
• 4-2(c) Appointing authority
• Authorize the Town Manager to appoint other
  appointed members of town government
• E.g. Election workers, most of the towns
  committees
• 4-4 (b) Vacancy greater than 7 days
• Authorize BoS to designate a temporary Town
  Manager should the Town Manager fail to or is
  unable to designate after 7 days of absence

7
Summary of Recommendations

• Town Manager Article 4 (continued)
• 4-5 Screening Committee Designees
• Expand screening committee to 7 members
• Appointments to be made by
• Board of Selectmen 3 (1)
• Finance Committee 2 (1)
• Town Moderator 1
• Town Clerk 1 (in place of Personnel Board)
• Reason Effect a larger constituency
• Public input At large and School Committee
  representation

8
Summary of Recommendations

• Town Manager Article 4 (continued)
• 4-5 Screening Committee Number of days
• Allow 45 days for the Board of Selectmen to chose
  a town manager from recommended candidates
• Increase from 20 days
• Allows for the process to include mechanisms such
  as the Assessment Center
• Recommendation based upon previous BoS experience

9
Summary of Recommendations

• Article 5 5-4 (Add) Department of Public Works
  
• Town owned roads and public way structures
  (Superintendent of Streets)
• Town owned buildings (except Regional School
  Department)
• Old cemetery, parks, parking areas, recreational
  and beach facilities (except Regional School
  Department)
• Snow removal, salting, sanding (except Regional
  School Department)
• Supervise collection and disposal of refuse
  facilities
• Care of trees (as per MGL Chapter 87 Section 2
  Tree Warden)
• (Not concluded) Water and Sewer operations
• Other functions as added by the Town Manager

10
Summarywww.townofgroton.org

• This review conducted as a normal checkpoint with
  the adoption of a new town charter
• Normal review cycles are 7 to 10 years
• Proposals
• Administrative corrections
• Operational proposal
• Major proposals
• Public opinion matters
• Public hearings
• Town meeting vote
• Town ballot questions