[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Selectmen of the Town of Orange 5-15-1979;
amended in its entirety 8-12-1998. Subsequent amendments
noted where applicable.]
There is hereby established a Department of Community Services of the
Town of Orange. The function of this department shall be to provide the Town
of Orange with those services that are not purely recreational and that are
not provided by the public schools, public health service, Police Department
and public library.
The objective of this department shall be the following:
A.
Provision of services for the purpose of preventing problems
and promoting health, intellectual, physical, social and emotional development;
B.
Performance of functions or services that will rehabilitate
individuals as independent, functioning members of society and prevent the
future dehabilitation or dependency of individuals and families;
C.
Creation of a cohesive organizational structure to coordinate
and improve the quality and effectiveness of comprehensive community services
at the point of delivery;
D.
Stimulation and utilization of the quasi-public and private
sector of service providers so that a cooperative and coordinated system of
public and private services may be developed to meet the needs of the citizens
of the town;
E.
Coordination between currently diffuse service systems
to improve the accessibility, continuity, and effectiveness of services to
individuals and families.
[Amended 4-9-2003]
There is hereby established a Community Services Commission to oversee the Community Services Department. The Community Services Commission shall consist of 12 members appointed by the First Selectman as provided in Section 4.4 of the Orange Charter. Minority representation on the Commission shall be in conformity with the provisions of Section 10.3 of the Orange Charter. No member of the Commission shall hold an elected office, or be an employee of the town, nor be a member of any other Town board or commission while serving on this Commission. The terms of the first 12 members of the Commission shall be divided into three classes. The First Selectman shall appoint four members to serve for one year, four members to serve for two years, and four members to serve for three years. At the expiration of the initial term of office of each Commission member, he or she or his or her successor shall be appointed to serve a period of four years. Vacancies shall be filled in accordance with Section 4.4 of the Orange Charter. The Commission shall elect a Chairperson who may not serve more than six consecutive years in that capacity, but may still complete his/her remaining appointment years as a Commission member. As a minimum, the Commission shall meet monthly except in July and August.
The jurisdiction of the Community Services Commission shall include services for the aged; services for people with disabilities; youth services, the purposes of which are not purely recreational; family counseling; general assistance; and volunteer coordination. The Commission shall propose to the Board of Selectmen the continuation or establishment of committees for each of the described areas of community service activity. Appointments to such committees as the Board of Selectmen decides to continue or establish shall be made by the First Selectman in accordance with Section 4.4 of the Orange Charter. Authority for expansion of the jurisdiction of the Community Services Commission must be obtained from the Board of Selectmen.
The functions of the Community Services Commission shall be as follows:
A.
Establish policy and determine priorities for the Community
Services Department.
B.
Review and evaluate existing programs and services.
C.
Engage in long term planning in cooperation with other
Town departments.
D.
Conduct inquiries and communications with other boards,
commissions, agencies and offices of other towns and municipalities in this
state, of the State of Connecticut, of the federal government, of other states
and of towns and municipalities of other states to obtain copies of reports,
studies and other information on community services matters of concern to
the people of Orange.
E.
Establish a capital budget and an operating budget to
be submitted to the Board of Finance.
F.
Render a written annual report filed no later than June
1 of each year, setting forth the Commission's assessment of human service
needs for each of the two successive years beginning with the subsequent July
1, said report to be included in the Annual Report.
G.
Recommend to the Board of Finance that the Commission
include within its budget an emergency fund to be expended for emergency community
service needs upon the vote of the Commission; and the Commission shall submit
to the Board of Finance a request for the replenishment of said funds.
H.
Create from its membership a Personnel Committee which
shall be responsible for screening and interviewing the new hire applicants
for the position of Director and making recommendations to the First Selectman
for final review and approval. The Personnel Committee will also work in concert
with the Director to implement staffing and structural changes within the
department.
I.
The Personnel Committee will evaluate the performance
of the Director on an annual basis and submit the evaluation to the First
Selectman for approval.
Because of the necessary vagueness of jurisdictional lines, it is declared
as the policy of the Town of Orange that there be close cooperation among
all Town boards and commissions engaged in the provision of delivery of any
aspect of community services.
