There shall be a Board of Selectmen consisting of five members,
a Chair, a Vice Chair and three Selectmen, hereinafter referred to
as the Board of Selectmen.
3.1.1. The Selectmen Chair. The Selectmen Chair shall preside over all meetings
of the Board of Selectmen. The Selectmen Chair shall be an ex-officio
member, without vote, of all Town boards, commissions and committees
and shall be the official head of the Town for all ceremonial and
military purposes. In the absence of the Town Manager, the Selectmen
Chair shall exercise the authority and perform all the duties of the
Town Manager for a period not to exceed 90 consecutive days, except
as otherwise specifically provided in this Charter. During his/her
absence or disability his/her duties shall be performed by another
member of the Board of Selectmen chosen by the members of such board
except as otherwise specifically provided in this Charter.
3.1.2. Public emergencies. Whenever a public emergency exists or threatens to arise involving or threatening the lives, health, or property of the inhabitants of the Town or property of the Town, the Town Manager, or his/her designee, with the consent of the Selectmen Chair may declare a public emergency and shall have the power to mobilize, organize, and direct the forces of the Town and to call upon the forces of the federal government, the State of Connecticut and other political subdivisions. The Town Manager, or in his/her absence, the Selectmen Chair may summon, marshal, deputize or otherwise employ other persons to do whatever may be deemed necessary for the purpose of meeting the emergency. Funding necessary to meet said public emergency shall be pursuant to Section
6.9 of this Charter. Emergency ordinances shall be enacted pursuant to Section 3.9.2.1 of this Charter.
Except as otherwise provided in this Charter, the Board of Selectmen
shall have the powers and duties conferred by the general and special
laws of the State upon the Board of Selectmen of the Town. The Board
of Selectmen shall have the following legislative powers of the Town:
3.2.1. The Board of Selectmen shall have the power to enact, amend or repeal
ordinances and resolutions not inconsistent with this Charter or the
general statutes of the State providing for the preservation of good
order, peace, health and safety of the Town and its inhabitants.
3.2.2. The Board of Selectmen shall have the power to create or abolish
by ordinance, boards, commissions, departments or offices except those
provided for in this Charter.
3.2.3. The Board of Selectmen may establish by resolution such study, advisory
or consulting committees as the Board of Selectmen determine to be
necessary or appropriate for the general welfare of the Town.
3.2.4. The Board of Selectmen is authorized to adopt ordinances to incorporate
any nationally recognized code, rules and regulations that have been
printed in book form, or any code officially adopted by any administrative
agency of the State, or any portion thereof, by reference thereto
in such ordinance; provided, upon adoption of any such ordinance wherein
any such code, rules and regulations or portions thereof have been
incorporated by reference, there shall be maintained two copies of
such code, rules and regulations in the office of the Town Clerk for
examination by the public.
3.2.5. The Board of Selectmen may contract for service and the use of facilities
of the United States or any federal agency, the State of Connecticut
and any political subdivision thereof, or may, by agreement, join
with such political subdivisions to provide services and facilities.
3.2.6. The Board of Selectmen shall consider endorsement, or rejection of
a plan of conservation and development or part thereof in accordance
with general statutes.
3.2.7. The Board of Selectmen may appoint a responsible Town official, elected
or appointed, to implement the Town emergency plan or other written
instructions in the event of a Town emergency and all Board of Selectmen
are absent from the Town.
3.2.8. The Board of Selectmen in executing their duties and responsibilities
are empowered to use all legal measures through a court of competent
jurisdiction when necessary. Should action concerning the Board of
Education be necessary, appeal to the Commissioner of Education, State
of Connecticut, may be pursued per the C.G.S.
Organization. The Board of Selectmen shall meet within seven days after taking office per Section
2.2.3. At its first meeting, the Board of Selectmen shall fix a time and place of its regular meetings and provide a method for the calling of special meetings. At this meeting the Board of Selectmen shall choose a Chair and Vice-Chair by simple majority vote to serve one-year terms and to confirm the order of succession to assume the duties and responsibilities of the Chair and the Vice-Chair, in the event of their absence or disability. Nothing shall prohibit the Chair or Vice-Chair from being a full voting and participating member of the Board of Selectmen. The Board of Selectmen shall be required to disclose any other office or position held within the government of the Town in which compensation is received. These disclosures shall be recorded in the minutes of a meeting and be reported in the annual Town report.
(a) Rules of procedure. The Board of Selectmen shall, by resolution,
determine its own rules of procedure provided that all regular and
special meetings shall be held in accordance with the applicable provisions
of the C.G.S. and Roberts Rules of Order, as amended, for meetings.
The Selectmen Chair, when present, shall preside over all meetings
of the Board of Selectmen and shall have full voting power at such
meetings. Four members of the entire Board of Selectmen shall constitute
a quorum. No action shall be adopted without a quorum present. All
meetings of the Board of Selectmen for the transaction of business
shall be open to the public except when a meeting is moved into Executive
Session. Meetings may move into Executive Session in accordance with
the Freedom of Information Act and by affirmative vote of two thirds
of the Selectmen present and voting. This action shall state the reasons
for such Executive Session.
(b) Conducting business. All business conducted by the Board of Selectmen
shall be approved by action at a regular or special meeting. The votes
of each member shall be recorded at the session at which they occur
and reported in the minutes of such meeting.
The Board of Selectmen shall fix the schedule of these meeting
dates and times, which shall be a minimum of two times a year.
Minutes of all meetings of the Board of Selectmen shall be recorded
and filed in accordance with Section 1-210 of the C.G.S.
The Board of Selectmen shall be responsible for holding joint
meetings with one or more members of all boards, commissions, and
agencies for the purpose of communicating plans and coordinating action
for carrying out the affairs of the Town.
Unless a specific board, commission, or agency is designated
by the C.G.S., Charter, ordinance or resolution voted at a Town Meeting
or referendum, the Board of Selectmen shall be responsible for acting
on behalf of the Town in applying for grants, aid or other funds that
the Town is eligible for and shall accept or reject such grants, aid
or other funds for the Town.
Decisions by the Board of Selectmen are made by a two-thirds
majority vote of a quorum present except for the following which must
be approved by no fewer than four members of the Board of Selectmen:
• Town Manager hiring, firing, performance
reviews, and disciplinary actions.
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• Nonemergency ordinances (adoption, amendment,
repeal).
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• Selecting legal counsel, town engineer, or
other professional service or firm.
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