When subject to Council appointment, members of Town boards,
which term includes authorities, commissions, committees (both standing
and ad hoc) and trusts, are selected using the following procedures.
There are certain general objectives which are critical to the
successful functioning of Council-appointed boards; among these are:
A.
That boards always have available to them candidates for membership
who are qualified for the unique needs of that board;
B.
That each board maintain the independent posture needed to encourage
the free and open dialogue crucial to its function; and
C.
That all volunteers are shown the appreciation of the community regardless
of whether or not they are appointed to a particular board.
[Amended 11-10-2014 by Ord. No. 14-06; 4-27-2015 by Ord. No. 15-03; 2-11-2019 by Ord. No. 19-04]
Unless otherwise specified in this Title, the Town Council makes
the appointment of citizen members and business representatives to
Town boards for open or unexpired vacant terms.
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The following procedures for the selection of board members
are adopted:
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A.
A list of applicants will be maintained by the Town Clerk. Applications
will be retained for five years or until the applicant withdraws or
is appointed, whichever is sooner.
B.
Applicants will be listed in order by the date/time of receipt of
the completed application by the Town Clerk.
C.
Applicants are eligible to serve only one primary board at a time
(unless acting as an official designee to another board). Primary
boards are defined as follows: Board of Appeals, Board of Assessment
Review, Capital Improvement Program, Conservation Commission, Parks
Commission, Planning Board, and Port Authority. All other boards are
considered secondary. Service on secondary boards is limited to no
more than three.
D.
No Town employees may be appointed to a Board, except when attendance
is required in their official capacity.
E.
Except for Planning Board and Board of Appeals applicants, the next
listed board applicant will be polled for interest for serving on
a board when an opening occurs. Those declining will be removed from
the applicant list for that board as of the date of declining.
F.
A member whose term is expiring is given first consideration for
reappointment, subject to term limitations for the position, if any.
Service for more than 1/2 of a term is considered a full term for
the purpose of calculating term limits. Alternates or associates on
a board will be given second consideration for appointment when an
opening occurs, in order of length of service.
G.
Except for Planning Board and Board of Appeals applicants, the Council
may waive the interview requirement for reappointments, alternates
applying for full membership, and full members applying for alternate
status.
H.
With the exception of the Planning Board and Board of Appeals, interviews
for appointment to a board will be conducted as follows:
(1)
The interview is conducted by the chairperson or designated
regular member(s) of the applicable board and by one Council member
designated by the Council. Councilor interviewing assignments are
rotated so that no one Councilor would be involved in successive interviews
for the same board. In the event neither the board chairperson nor
a designated permanent member is available, the sitting Council may
determine an alternate interview protocol.
(2)
Interviews are considered private.
(3)
Only one interview is conducted with each applicant for each
position.
(4)
Interviewers must agree to the acceptability of the candidate
in order for that candidate to be considered by the full Council.
I.
The following criteria will be considered in evaluating candidates:
J.
Applicants not recommended to or appointed by the Council may opt
to remain on the applicant list if they so desire. They must notify
the Town Clerk in writing of their interest within one week of being
notified of the nonappointment, and they will be placed at the bottom
of the list. Otherwise, they will be removed from the list.
K.
Unless otherwise specified in this Title, applicants must be qualified
to serve in accordance with the Town Charter and remain qualified
throughout their appointment.
L.
For the purpose of aligning term-ending dates to December 31, the
Council may make appointments no more than one year in excess of the
specified term, unless prohibited by the Charter.
M.
Any appointed board member may be dismissed for cause by the Town Council pursuant to § 2.07(1) of the Town Charter.
N.
Unless prohibited by Charter or otherwise specified in this Title,
members serve until their successors are appointed and qualified.
[Amended 4-27-2015 by Ord. No. 15-03; 2-11-2019 by Ord. No. 19-04]
A.
Applicants for a vacant position on the Planning Board or Board of
Appeals must be interviewed by at least a quorum of the Council at
a regular or special Council meeting. A member who is eligible for
reappointment may be given first consideration for an interview and
appointment by the Council. Thereafter, if the position is not filled
by reappointment, the Council will interview interested applicants
in order of the date and time the application was received.
B.
Criteria listed in § 4.2.3I(1) through (4) must be considered
in evaluating candidates for the Planning Board and the Board of Appeals.
C.
The Council, in open session, shall nominate, with a second, discuss
and vote on appointment to the vacant position in accordance with
Town Council Rules and Regulations Appointment Procedures.
[Amended 12-14-2015 by Ord. No. 15-14; 5-30-2018 by Ord. No. 04-18; 2-11-2019 by Ord. No. 19-04]
The sitting Town Council shall determine appointment procedures
for all ad hoc, special and other boards, commissions and committees.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Former § 4.2.6, Other appointments,
as amended, and which immediately followed this section, was repealed
2-11-2019 by Ord. No. 19-04.
