The council shall appoint a corporation counsel who shall be an elector of the town to serve for a term of two years, such term to start one month after each new council takes office, who shall be an attorney at law admitted to practice in this state. The council shall fix the salary of the corporation counsel and any of his or her assistants and may remove him or her from office in the manner prescribed in Chapter XIV of this charter. The corporation counsel shall appear for and protect the rights of the town in all actions, suits or proceedings brought by or against it or any of its departments, officers, agencies, boards or commissions. He or she shall be the legal advisor of the town council, the town manager, and all town officers, boards and commissions in all matters affecting the town and shall upon written request furnish them with a written opinion on any question of law involving their respective powers and duties. Upon request the corporation counsel shall prepare or approve forms of contracts or salary other instruments to which the town is a party or in which it has an interest. He or she shall have power, with approval or ratification of the council, to compromise or settle any claims by or against the town, provided he or she may compromise or settle any claim against the town in such an amount as the council by ordinance shall establish or less without such approval. Within appropriations made by the council, the corporation counsel may appoint any assistant or assistants to aid in the discharge of his or her duties, and such assistants shall perform such duties as may be stipulated by the corporation counsel. The corporation counsel may remove such assistants in the manner prescribed in Chapter XIV of this charter.
The council shall appoint a board of assessment appeals consisting of three electors of the town, and may appoint for each member an alternate who shall be an elector of the town, for such terms as the council may establish by ordinance which board shall have all the powers and duties which now are or may hereafter be conferred or imposed by the general statutes on boards of assessment appeals in towns. Each member of said board shall receive a salary to be fixed by the council.
[Amended 11-3-1998]
There shall be a five member library board, who shall be electors of the town, appointed by the council for five-year overlapping terms, one member to be appointed each year, effective January first. Members of the library board shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed for expenses incurred in the performance of their duties. The library board shall manage and control the free public libraries of the town and may act as trustee for all property or income designated for public library purposes and perform such duties and have such powers as are or may be imposed upon or vested in library boards by the general statutes. In addition, the library board shall have such duties, responsibilities and authority as may be assigned it by ordinance not inconsistent with this charter or the general statutes. The library board shall appoint and, when necessary for the good of the town, remove a director of the library department, who shall be paid a salary within a range to be established by the council upon recommendation of the board after consultation with the town manager. The salary of said director shall be determined by the library board based upon the range established as aforesaid. Said director shall be responsible to the board for the operation of the department and shall carry out policies as established by the board. Subject to such rules and regulations as may be adopted pursuant to the merit system provisions contained in Chapter VIII of this charter, said director shall have the right to appoint and remove all other employees in the department and shall prescribe their duties.
The council shall appoint a personnel board consisting of five electors of the town to serve for terms fixed by ordinance, and they shall annually elect their own chairperson and vice-chairperson. The council shall also appoint not less than two nor more than five electors to serve as alternates, for terms fixed by ordinance. Members of the personnel board shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed for expenses incurred in the performance of their duties. Each member of the personnel board, in addition to meeting such qualifications for board membership as are stipulated elsewhere in this charter, shall be known to be in sympathy with the merit principle as applied to the civil service, shall neither hold nor be a candidate for any other public office or position, and shall not be a member of any local, state or national committee of a political party or an officer in any partisan political club or organization. The personnel board shall advise the council on personnel matters and shall carry out such investigations and make such reports as the council may direct. The personnel board shall hear appeals from any employees of the town, except employees of the department of education, who wish to appeal rulings of the director of personnel. Whenever there shall be a conflict of interest between a member of the board and a person appealing a decision, that member shall disqualify him- or herself from participating in that particular appeals procedure. For the purpose of hearing appeals, any member of the personnel board shall have the power to administer oaths.
[Amended 11-3-1998]
The town council shall appoint a board of assessors consisting of five members who shall be electors of the town who shall serve for five-year overlapping terms, at least three of whom, shall be experienced in either land values or building construction. Members of the board shall be paid salaries to be determined by the council. The board of assessors shall have such duties, responsibilities and authority as are assigned to boards of assessors under the provisions of the general statutes. The board of assessors shall appoint and, when necessary for the good of the town, remove a director of assessment, who shall be paid a salary within a range to be established by the council upon recommendation of the board after consultation with the town manager. The salary of said director shall be determined by the board of assessors based upon the range established as aforesaid. Said director shall be responsible to the board for the operation of the assessment functions and shall carry out policies as established by the board. Subject to such rules and regulations as may be adopted pursuant to the merit system provisions contained in Chapter VIII of this charter, said director shall have the right to appoint and remove all other employees in the assessment office and shall prescribe their duties.
The council shall appoint a board of special assessments consisting of five electors of the town and the director of the department of community services to serve for terms fixed by ordinance. Members of the board shall serve without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for expenses incurred in the performance of their duties. Subject to the provisions of Charter Chapter IX, the board shall have the duty to determine the necessity of any assessable municipal work or improvement if the council by ordinance so provides, and shall have such further powers and duties with respect to the assessment of benefits accruing to and the award of damages sustained by any owner of property by reason of said municipal work or improvement, as the council shall by ordinance provide. Any person aggrieved by a final action of said board may appeal to the superior court for the judicial district of Hartford-New Britain within fifteen days of notice to him or her of said final action. The director of the department of community services shall attend meetings, counsel and advise the board, but shall have no vote. The board shall determine its own rules of procedure and shall have power to take sworn testimony, subpoena witnesses, administer oaths, and compel the production of books, papers, documents and other evidence, and shall provide for and preserve stenographic record.
[Amended 11-3-1998]
The council shall appoint such constables as may be necessary, not exceeding nine in number. Constables shall perform such functions as described in the Connecticut General Statutes, Revision 1958, as amended, and ordinances as may be adopted from time to time by the town council.
The town council shall appoint a town plan and zoning commission, which shall consist of five members, who shall hold office for such terms as the council shall establish by ordinance.
The town council shall appoint a board of zoning appeals which shall consist of five members, who shall hold office for such terms as the town council shall establish by ordinance. Said board of appeals shall be governed in its powers and duties by Chapter 43 of the General Statutes.