[HISTORY: Adopted by the Annual Town Meeting of the Town of Chelmsford 10-15-1990 by Art. 19. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Code of Ethics — See Ch. 29.
The Town Moderator shall appoint a Finance Committee which shall be composed of seven members, each of whom shall serve for a term of not more than three years from the date of appointment.
A. 
There shall be a Personnel Board consisting of five members, four of whom shall be known as "public members" and shall be appointed by the Select Board. In the beginning, two of these shall be appointed for a term of one year and two shall be appointed for a term of two years. Thereafter, each public member shall be appointed for a term of two years. Each term shall expire at the end of the appropriate fiscal year.
[Amended 5-3-2007 ATM by Art. 16; 6-17-2021 ATM by Art. 29]
B. 
The fifth member, to be known as the "personnel member," shall be elected by town employees who are subject to the personnel system and whose names appear on the town payroll list for the Wednesday prior to the election or who otherwise are identified as eligible voters. Each voter must be 18 years of age or over on the day of the election. The term of office shall be for two years and shall expire on July 1 of each odd-numbered year. The election of the personnel member shall be secret and shall be supervised by a board of three election officers appointed by the Town Manager. The election shall be held in June to be effective in July. Special elections shall be held to fill the unexpired term of a personnel member who resigns before the term has expired. All elections shall be held between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. on a weekday selected by the above-mentioned board of three election officers. Each permanent full-time employee or part-time regular employee with a work schedule of 20 or more hours per week will be granted one vote. All other eligible voters will be granted 1/2 vote each.
C. 
At the first meeting of each fiscal year at which all Personnel Board members are present, a Chairperson of the Personnel Board shall be elected by a majority vote.
D. 
All members of the Personnel Board shall be registered voters of the Town of Chelmsford.
E. 
No public member of the Personnel Board shall be an employee of the town or hold office, whether appointed or elected. The personnel member of the Personnel Board shall not be an elected official or appointed department head but may otherwise be an employee who is subject to this section.
F. 
Members of the Personnel Board shall serve without compensation.
G. 
The Personnel Board shall meet regularly as necessary to consider such business as may be presented by town officials, town employees or others.
H. 
At any meeting of the Personnel Board, action by a majority of those Board members shall be binding upon the Personnel Board. At least three members of the Board shall be present in order to constitute a legal meeting.
[Amended 10-21-1999 ATM by Art. 31]
The collector of taxes shall be the Town Treasurer-Collector. The Town Treasurer-Collector, within the time limits prescribed by law for the collection of accounts due the town, shall collect all accounts due the town, except those set forth in MGL c. 41, § 38A, as amended. Said Town Treasurer-Collector may settle and adjust any such accounts upon such terms as he or she thinks for the best interests of the town, or he or she may cause legal proceedings to be commenced in his or her name as Town Treasurer-Collector for the collection of any such accounts and may employ counsel for that purpose. The costs of said legal proceedings, including counsel fees, shall be charged to and paid by the Treasurer-Collector from the Treasurer-Collector's expense account. All bills for accounts due the town shall state that all checks, drafts or money orders shall be made payable to or to the order of the Town of Chelmsford.
[Amended 10-17-2005 ATM by Art. 26]
A. 
No officer or board of the town shall make any contract on behalf of the town in which such officer or any member of such board is directly or indirectly financially interested, except by competitive contracts.
B. 
Any Town officer or board authorized by the General Laws or the Town Charter or bylaws to enter into contracts for the procurement of goods or services is hereby authorized, pursuant to MGL c. 30B, § 12, to enter into such contracts for terms not to exceed five years, unless a longer term is specifically authorized by a vote of Town Meeting.
[Amended 6-17-2021 ATM by Art. 29]
The Select Board is authorized to act as agent of the town in any suit or suits which may arise, with authority to settle and adjust claims or demands for or against the town and to employ counsel whenever in its judgment it is necessary.
A. 
Whenever an appointment to an uncompensated town office is revoked, the appointing authority shall cause a written notice of that action, along with a statement of the specific reason or reasons therefor, to be sent within 48 hours by registered mail to the affected individual at his or her last known address.
B. 
This requirement shall apply to revocation only and not to a decision against reappointment at the expiration of a fixed term.
[Added 4-27-2009 ATM by Art. 18]
A. 
There shall be an Agricultural Commission to represent the Chelmsford farming community and related interests. Said Commission shall serve as facilitators for encouraging the pursuit or agriculture in Chelmsford. and shall promote agricultural-based economic opportunities in Town.
B. 
Said Commission, once appointed, shall develop a work plan to guide its activities. Such activities include, but are not limited to, the following:
(1) 
Serve as facilitators for encouraging the pursuit of agriculture in Chelmsford;
(2) 
Promote agricultural-based economic opportunities in Town;
(3) 
Act as mediators, advocates, educators, and/or negotiators on farming issues;
(4) 
Work for the preservation of prime agricultural lands; and
(5) 
Pursue all initiatives appropriate to creating a sustainable agricultural community.
C. 
The duties and responsibilities of the Commission shall include, but not be limited to:
(1) 
Advising the Town Manager in matters related to the care and usage of Town-owned agricultural properties.
(2) 
Advising the Select Board, Planning Board, Zoning Board of Appeals, Conservation Commission, Board of Health, and other local organizations, on projects and activities, including acquisitions and other transactions, involving agricultural lands in Town.
[Amended 6-17-2021 ATM by Art. 29]
(3) 
Engaging in projects and activities to promote the business of farming activities and traditions and farmland protection in Town, including programs and community events.
D. 
The Commission shall consist of five members appointed by the Select Board. In the beginning, two members shall be appointed for a term of three years, two members shall be appointed for a term of two years, and one member shall be appointed for a term of one year. Thereafter, each member shall be appointed for a term of three years. Each term shall expire at the end of the appropriate fiscal year.
[Amended 6-17-2021 ATM by Art. 29]
[Added 10-18-2021 ATM by Art. 21]
No multiple-member body of the Town shall conduct a meeting during the election hours of a municipal or state election that is occurring within the Town. For the purpose of this section, election hours of a municipal or state election shall include only the hours in which live voting is taking place on election day, and shall not count early voting prior to election day.
{END OF CHAPTER}