There shall be a Board of Selectmen consisting of the First
Selectman and two (2) Selectmen. Except as otherwise provided in this
Charter and the General Statutes, neither the First Selectman nor
the Selectmen shall hold any other Town office.
The Board of Selectmen shall generally supervise the affairs
of the Town and shall have all the powers and duties conferred upon
it, and shall perform all the duties required of it, by law. The Board
of Selectmen's powers and duties shall include, but are not limited
to, the following:
A.
Committees. The Board of Selectmen may, from time to time, appoint
by resolution such special, temporary and ad hoc committees as it
deems necessary and appropriate to assist it in carrying out its duties.
The term of any such committee shall terminate upon the expiration
of the term of the Board appointing it or on such earlier date as
is set by the Board.
B.
Town Employees. The Board of Selectmen shall have the power to hire,
establish the working conditions of, promote, discipline, suspend
and dismiss all persons employed by the Town, either full or part
time, except as otherwise specified in this Charter. Where personnel
policies and rules are adopted in accordance with Section 502, said
policies and rules shall be followed by the Board in the exercise
of this power. The Board may delegate this power wholly or in part
to the First Selectman and/or to the heads of departments.
C.
Compensation of Town Employees. Except as provided in Section 702(C)(1)(d),
the Board of Selectmen shall set the salaries, wages or other compensation
of all Town employees not set in accordance with Section 502(B)(6)
hereof, in conformity with the Pay Plan established by the Board of
Selectmen pursuant to Section 502(B)(6) of this Charter for the positions
involved within the limits of the appropriations made therefor.
D.
Contracts. Except as otherwise provided in this Charter, the Board
of Selectmen, may, subject to the appropriation of funds necessary,
enter into contracts on behalf of the Town for services (including
professional and consulting service(s)), supplies and the use of facilities
with any public or private person or agency including, without limitation,
the United States Government, any agency thereof, the State of Connecticut
and any agency or political subdivision thereof.
E.
Charges for Services. The Board of Selectmen may fix the charges,
if any, which may be made for services rendered by the Town.
F.
Review of Town Needs. The Board of Selectmen shall conduct an ongoing
review of the current and future needs of the Town, including financial
needs and budget requirements and, in connection therewith, may require
reports and information to be submitted by any office, board or commission
of the Town. The Board of Selectmen may place any such report on the
agenda of any regular or special Town Meeting.
G.
Joint Meetings of Land Use Commissions and Officials. At least once
each calendar year, with no more than twelve (12) months in between
meetings, the Board of Selectmen shall call and hold a joint meeting
of all the land use commissions and all land use officials to consider
those items which the Board of Selectmen and the chairmen of the land
use commissions have caused to be included on the agenda for that
joint meeting. The Board of Selectmen may call and hold such joint
meetings more frequently than once every twelve (12) months.
H.
Joint Meetings of Boards and Commissions. In addition to joint meetings
with land use commissions and officials, the Board of Selectmen may
call and hold such joint meetings with Town officers, boards, or commissions
that the Board of Selectmen, in its discretion, deems appropriate.
I.
Ordinances.
1.
Non-Emergency Ordinances.
a.
Generally. The Board of Selectmen shall periodically consider and
prepare ordinances and amendments to ordinances to meet the needs
of the Town, which ordinances and amendments are not inconsistent
with this Charter, the General Statutes, the Connecticut Constitution,
the United States Constitution or the laws of the United States.
b.
Before calling a Town Meeting to consider and act on any proposed
ordinance or amendment, the Board of Selectmen shall hold at least
one public hearing concerning the proposed ordinance or amendment.
Notice of such public hearing shall be given at least seven (7) days
in advance in accordance with Section 204(B)(1)(a)(iii) of this Charter.
The Board of Selectmen shall make copies of the proposed ordinance
or amendment available for public inspection at the Town Clerk's Office
at least seven (7) days in advance of the public hearing.
c.
Every ordinance or amendment, after passage, shall be filed with
the Town Clerk by the Board of Selectmen and shall be compiled, codified
and published as required by this Charter and by the General Statutes.
Each ordinance and amendment shall take effect fifteen (15) days after
publication unless such ordinance or amendment specifies a later effective
date.
2.
Emergency Ordinances.
a.
The Board of Selectmen may adopt ordinances to meet a public emergency
notwithstanding the Town Meeting, public hearing and prior Notice
requirements of this Charter if the Board finds the following:
(i)
The emergency threatens the lives, health, or property of citizens;
threatens public property; or threatens the public health and safety;
and
(ii)
The delay occasioned by convening a Town Meeting, holding a
public hearing and/or giving prior notice would further imperil the
public health and safety, public property or the lives, health or
property of residents.
b.
The Board of Selectmen shall include in each such emergency ordinance
a statement of the findings required by Section 402(I)(2)(a) above,
including a recital of the facts on which the findings were made.
c.
The ordinance shall take effect immediately and shall be effective
for no more than sixty (60) days.
d.
Each emergency ordinance shall be published as provided in this Charter.
e.
The Board of Selectmen shall repeal any such emergency ordinance
if it finds that the emergency has terminated.
f.
Each emergency ordinance (and any amendment thereto) shall be deemed
to be repealed by operation of law on the sixty-first (61st) day after
enactment unless action has previously been initiated, pursuant to
the provisions of this Charter, to adopt a permanent ordinance to
address the same public emergency. In that event, the emergency ordinance
shall remain in full force and effect until final action is taken
on enactment of the permanent ordinance.
J.
Acceptance of Gifts, Bequests and Other Conveyances of Property to
the Town.
1.
Personal Property, including cash and other intangible property.
a.
Conveyances of cash or other intangible personal property that is
unrestricted or to be added to one or more established special funds.
The Board of Selectmen is empowered to accept on behalf of the Town,
conveyances of personal property (including gifts of cash and other
intangible personal property) whether by gift, bequest or otherwise
when such conveyances are either unrestricted as to sale or use or
are to be added to one or more established Town funds.
b.
Other personal property. If a conveyance of personal property to
the Town is proposed other than that discussed in Section 402(J)(1)(a)
above, a written analysis of the financial impact of the conveyance
on the Town shall be prepared and delivered by the First Selectman,
or his designee, to the Board of Finance for its consideration and
recommendation. If the Board of Finance recommends acceptance of the
conveyance, or fails to recommend rejection within sixty (60) days
of delivery of the analysis, the Board of Selectmen is empowered to
accept the conveyance.
2.
Real Property or Interests in Real Property.
a.
Connected with improvement of existing Town highway, required as
a condition for approval of subdivisions or other development or a
conservation or preservation restriction. The Board of Selectmen is
empowered to accept conveyances of real property or interests in real
property (whether by outright conveyance, gift, bequest or otherwise)
in the following circumstances:
(i)
The conveyance is for highway, drainage, grading, sloping or
similar purposes to be used in connection with the construction, reconstruction,
maintenance or improvement of a Town highway existing at the time
of the conveyance.
(ii)
The conveyance is a fee simple absolute interest in real property
which consists of a new of highway (including drainage, grading, sloping,
or similar easements and including interests in drainage system(s))
which highway has been constructed in accordance with Town road specifications
and approved by the Board of Selectmen, as appropriate and is proposed
for acceptance into the Town's public highway system.
(iii)
The conveyance is to satisfy a condition of approval
established by the Planning Commission, the Zoning Commission or the
Inland-Wetlands Agency.
(iv)
The conveyance is of a conservation or preservation restriction
as defined by Section 47-42a of the General Statutes, with the exception
of acquisition of development rights, which shall be referred to Town
Meeting.
b.
Other real property or interest in real property. If a conveyance
of real property or interest in real property to the Town is proposed
other than that discussed in Section 402(J)(2)(a) above, a written
analysis of the financial impact of the acceptance of the conveyance
on the Town shall be prepared and delivered by the First Selectman,
or his designee, to the Board of Finance for its consideration and
recommendation. The Board of Selectmen shall cause the question of
whether or not to accept the conveyance to be included in the agenda
for the first Town Meeting held following receipt of a recommendation
from the Board of Finance or sixty (60) days after delivery of the
analysis to the Board of Finance, whichever is earlier.
c.
Nothing in this Section 402(J) shall be construed as affecting the
requirements of Section 8-24 of the General Statutes concerning referrals
to the Planning Commission.
K.
Disposition of Town Property.
1.
The Board of Selectmen may recommend the sale, lease or other disposition
of real property owned by the Town. The Board of Selectmen shall submit
any such recommendation to the Planning Commission pursuant to Section
8-24 of the Connecticut General Statutes and to the Town Meeting.
2.
The Board of Selectmen may, without Town Meeting approval, sell or
otherwise dispose of tangible personal property having a value not
in excess of ten thousand dollars ($10,000.00) per item, with an aggregate
for any fiscal year of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00). Notification
of the Selectmen's intention to sell said personal property shall
be published to secure adequate bids.
3.
The Board of Selectmen may use any tangible personal property of
the Town as a credit (trade-in) toward the purchase of similar tangible
personal property for which there is a budget appropriation.
L.
Discontinuance of Public Highways.
1.
Proposed discontinuances of public highways (including interests
in drainage systems and drainage, grading, sloping, or similar easement(s)
shall be presented by the Board of Selectmen to the Town Meeting for
consideration and action.
2.
If the Town Meeting approves the proposed discontinuance, the Board
of Selectmen is empowered to implement the discontinuance pursuant
to Section 13a-49 of the General Statutes.
3.
Nothing in this Section 402(L) shall be construed as affecting the
requirements of Section 8-24 of the General Statutes concerning referrals
to the Planning Commission.
A.
The Board of Selectmen shall meet on the first Monday in December
after the municipal election, with the new First Selectman presiding.
B.
The First Selectman shall appoint one of the two Selectmen to serve
at will as Acting First Selectman to act in the absence or disability
of the First Selectman, and a secretary, who need not be a Selectman,
to keep a record of the proceedings of the Board.
C.
In the absence or disability of both the First Selectman and the
Acting First Selectman, the remaining Selectman shall perform the
duties of the First Selectman until the return or recovery of the
First Selectman or Acting First Selectman.
D.
If a vacancy in the Office of First Selectman is filled by appointment
or special election, the person so appointed or elected shall appoint
an Acting First Selectman, which appointment shall supersede any previous
appointment.
A.
Time and Place of Meetings. The Board of Selectmen shall fix by resolution
the time and place for its regular meetings and provide a method for
calling special meetings, provided however, that the Board of Selectmen
shall hold at least one meeting each calendar month.
B.
Rules of Procedure. The Board of Selectmen shall determine by resolution
its own rules of procedure, which shall include affording residents
of the Town an opportunity to address suggestions, petitions and complaints
to the Board of Selectmen at any regular meeting.
C.
Quorum. Two (2) members of the Board of Selectmen shall constitute
a quorum.
D.
Vote. All actions by the Board of Selectmen shall be by majority
vote unless otherwise provided by law.
E.
Minutes. The keeping and availability of minutes of all Board of
Selectmen meetings shall be in accordance with the provisions of Section
1-200 et seq. of the General Statutes. Minutes of meetings of the
Board of Selectmen shall be filed in the Office of the Town Clerk.
F.
Notice of Meetings and Executive Sessions. The procedures for warning
any regular or special meeting of the Board of Selectmen and the holding
of executive sessions, shall be in accordance with the provisions
of Section 1-200 et seq. of the General Statutes.
No member of the Board of Selectmen, except the First Selectman
or the Selectman exercising the powers and duties of the First Selectman
in his absence or disability, shall give orders, either publicly or
privately, to any administrative officer or employee of the Town.
The Board of Selectmen may require, as a responsibility of employment,
any such employee or officer to attend any regular or special meeting
of the Board and give information to the Board on matters relevant
to the operation of the Town.
