The powers that are conferred and the duties that are imposed
upon any office, agency, board or commission under the CT General
Statutes or special acts concerning the Town or any ordinance or regulation
in force at the time this Charter shall take effect, if such office,
agency, board or commission is abolished by this Charter, shall be
thereafter exercised and discharged by the office, agency, board or
commission upon which are imposed corresponding or like functions,
powers and duties under the provisions of this Charter. All offices,
agencies, boards and commissions abolished by this Charter shall continue
in the performance of their duties until provision shall have been
made for the discontinuance of such offices, agencies, boards or commissions
and the performance of their duties by other offices, boards or commissions
created under this Charter and until the Town Clerk shall have notified
the members of such offices, agencies, boards or commissions as are
abolished that their successors have qualified. All powers which are
conferred and the duties that are imposed upon the Board of Finance,
in force at the time this Charter shall take effect, shall under the
CT General Statutes or any ordinance or regulation concerning said
Board thereafter be exercised and discharged by the Selectmen unless
otherwise specifically provided in this Charter.
All Town records, property and equipment whatsoever of any office,
agency, board or commission or part thereof, all the powers and duties
of which are assigned to any other office, agency, board or commission
by this Charter, shall be transferred and delivered intact to the
office, agency, board or commission to which such powers and duties
are so assigned. If part of the powers and duties of any office, agency,
board or commission or part thereof are by this Charter assigned to
another office, agency, board or commission, all records, property
and equipment relating exclusively thereto shall be transferred and
delivered intact to the office, agency, board or commission to which
such powers and duties are so assigned.
All employees of the Town, on the effective date of this Charter,
shall retain such positions until promoted, transferred, reduced in
rank or removed in accordance with the provisions of this Charter.
Any provision of law in force at the time this Charter shall take
effect, and not inconsistent with the provisions of this Charter,
in relation to personnel, appointment, ranks, grades, promotions,
removal, pension and retirement rights, civil rights or any other
rights or privileges of employees of the Town or any office, department
or agency thereof shall continue in effect until or unless amended
or repealed in accordance with the provisions of this Charter.
No action or proceeding, civil or criminal, pending on the effective
date of this Charter brought by or against the Town or any office,
agency, board or commission thereof shall be affected or abated by
the adoption of this Charter or by anything herein contained, but
all such actions or proceedings may be continued notwithstanding the
functions, powers and duties of any office, agency, board or commission,
but in the event the same may be prosecuted or defended by the head
of the office, agency, board or commission to which such functions,
powers and duties have been assigned or transferred by or under this
Charter.
All appropriations approved and in force and all funds, including
special or reserve funds in the name of the Town, at the time of the
adoption of this Charter shall remain in full force and effect unless
and until the same shall be amended, transferred or abolished by the
Board of Finance under the provisions of this Charter.
As of the effective date of this Charter, all general laws and
special acts applying to the Town, all ordinances and bylaws of the
Town and all rules and regulations of commissions, boards, departments
and agencies of the Town shall continue in force, except insofar as
they are inconsistent with the provisions of this Charter or are repealed.
This Charter may be amended in the manner prescribed by the
CT General Statutes. The Board of Selectmen shall review the several
provisions of this Charter from time to time as it deems such review
to be in the best interest of the Town, but not less often than once
every five (5) years, said review to be published as part of the Annual
Town Report. The Board of Selectmen shall appoint a commission not
later than five (5) years from the effective date of this Charter
to review, amend or revise said Charter in the manner prescribed by
the CT General Statutes.
A.
This Charter is intended to avail, make use of and exercise the full
home rule powers of the Town under the Home Rule Law and any other
statute now in effect or hereafter enacted and any other home rule
powers thereof under the Constitution of the State of Connecticut,
under the common law or otherwise.
B.
Nothing herein contained shall be construed as intended to conflict
with or be inconsistent with any General Statutes of the State of
Connecticut expressing any substantial public policy of the state.
It shall be construed as an assertion of the Town's full power
and authority to prescribe its organic law for the administration
of its local affairs.
C.
If any section or part of any section of this Charter shall be held
invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, such holding shall not
affect the remainder of this Charter nor the context in which said
section or part thereof so held invalid may appear, except to the
extent that an entire section or part of a section may be inseparably
connected in meaning and effect with the section or part of the section
to which such ruling shall directly apply.
When the context so requires, the masculine gender shall include
the feminine, and the singular shall include the plural, and the plural
the singular.
All references to the CT General Statutes made herein are to
the General Statutes of Connecticut, as amended.
This Charter shall become effective upon the approval of a majority of the Town electors voting hereon at a regular or special election as determined by the Board of Selectmen and in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 99 of the CT General Statutes, as amended.
