[Adopted as §§ 2-18 through 2-35, 2-37, 2-38, 2-55.1 of the 1965 Code]
[Amended 5-13-2008 by Ord. No. 086-08]
A. 
Establishment of administrative departments.
(1) 
There shall be, and are hereby established, the following administrative departments which shall constitute the departments of the City, whose department heads and employees shall perform the duties prescribed by law or by ordinance and such further duties, not inconsistent with the nature of their respective offices or with the General Laws, as the Mayor may direct or Council may from time to time prescribe by ordinance. The department heads shall, under the supervision of the Mayor, perform their respective duties collaboratively, forming a consulting team serving the Mayor as the Chief Executive. In the event a department head position is vacant due to the position not being funded, prolonged absence, or otherwise, the division heads in said department shall report directly to the Mayor.
[Amended 6-3-2014 by Ord. No. 101-2014]
(a) 
The Department of Community Development, which shall consist of a Division of Economic Development, a Division of Housing, a Division of Planning, and a Building and Zoning Division, all of which shall work under the direction of the Director of Community Development appointed by the Mayor.
(b) 
The Department of Finance and Administration, which shall consist of the City Auditor, the Treasurer-Collector, the Chair of the Board of Assessors, the Purchasing Division, and the Manager of Information Technology.
[1] 
The Mayor shall appoint a Manager of Information Technology who shall: direct, plan, manage, and improve the operations of the City's technology systems, including data collection; coordinate information systems and telecommunications services to and among the departments and divisions of the City and other public and private sector agencies; plan, coordinate, and participate in the management of these systems and make recommendations for technical acquisitions and improvements; develop and manage systems to coordinate data and information sharing among municipal employees to minimize duplication of effort and to facilitate the development of simplified systems for the employees and the public; improve and develop network and services and activities; provide highly technical and responsible assistance to municipal departments and divisions; promote, improve and organize the City's website and manage special projects.
[2] 
The Auditor, Treasurer-Collector, Procurement Officer,[1] and the Assessors shall have the authorities and be subject to the responsibilities established by the laws of the commonwealth. The Mayor shall appoint a Director of Finance and Administration who shall coordinate the City's finance team under the direction of the Mayor.
[1]
Editor's Note: The titles "Purchasing Agent" and "Procurement Officer" were changed to "Chief Procurement Officer" 3-5-2013 by Ord. No. 042-2013; see Ch. 3, Art. XXIV.
(c) 
The Fire Department.
(d) 
The Department of Human Services, which shall consist of the Division of Veterans' Services, the Public Library, the Council on Aging and the Division of Recreation. The Mayor shall appoint a Director of Human Services who shall manage the work of the Department.
(e) 
The Department of Health, which shall have the following responsibilities: The Department of Public Health shall be under the supervision and direction of a Director of Public Health appointed by the Board of Health. The Director of Public Health shall be responsible, as the appointee of the Board of Health, for all matters relating to the public health of the City and its residents and shall exercise all the statutory and legal authority vested in a Director of Public Health and management of the sanitary inspectors under the Board's jurisdiction; management of municipal trash collection, the functions of the Sealer of Weights and Measures and the administration of the City's recycling programs, including the implementation of Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 40, Section 8H.
(f) 
The Police Department.
(g) 
The Department of Public Works, which shall consist of the Division of Cemeteries, the Division of Parks, the Division of Streets, the Water Enterprise Division, the Division of Public Facilities, the Wastewater Enterprise and Sewer Division, and the Division of Public Facilities.
(h) 
The Building and Zoning Enforcement Department.
[Added 6-3-2014 by Ord. No. 103-2014]
(2) 
The creation of the municipal departments is intended to serve the administrative needs of the City. Nothing in this section shall be construed to diminish or alter the statutory or common law authority of any public officer, board or commission conferred by the law of either the Commonwealth of Massachusetts or the United States. This organization of the City into departments is not intended to implement the provisions of MGL c. 43C.
(3) 
In the event a selection committee is created by the Mayor for the hiring of either a department head or a division head as so designated in § 3-19A of the City Code, the Director of Human Resources shall be appointed as a member of the selection committee.
[Added 10-21-2014 by Ord. No. 264-2014]
B. 
Establishment of boards and commissions. There shall be and are hereby established the following boards and commissions of the City, which shall perform the duties prescribed by law or by ordinance, and such further duties, not inconsistent with the nature of their respective offices or with the General Laws, as the Mayor or Council may from time to time prescribe.
(1) 
Airport Commission.
(2) 
Board of Assessors.
(3) 
Board of Cemetery Commissioners.
(4) 
Board of Health.
(5) 
Board of Park Commissioners.
(6) 
Commissioners of Trust Funds.
(7) 
Council on Aging.
(8) 
Insurance Commission.
(9) 
Licensing Board.
(10) 
Planning Board.
(11) 
Board of Zoning Appeals.
(12) 
Retirement Board.
(13) 
Trustees of the Public Library.
(14) 
Conservation Commission.
(15) 
Historic Commission.
(16) 
Water-Wastewater Commission.
[Amended 10-19-2010 by Ord. No. 245-10[2]]
[2]
Editor's Note: This ordinance also repealed former Subsection B(17), Water Commission, which immediately followed, and redesignated former Subsection B(18) as Subsection B(17).
(17) 
The Board of Registrars of Voters.
C. 
The Mayor shall appoint the City Solicitor, who shall have the duties and responsibilities as the City's attorney under the law of the commonwealth and this Code as described in Article V, §§ 3-49 through 3-58.
D. 
The Mayor shall appoint the Director of Human Resources, who shall have the duties and responsibilities described in Article XXXIII, §§ 3-264 through 3-266 of this Code.
E. 
The City Clerk, elected by the City Council, shall be the administrative head of the Office of the City Clerk and shall have the supervision and charge of the City Clerk's Department. The Clerk shall have all of the responsibilities and duties established by statute and as described in §§ 3-40 through 3-48 of this Code.
[Amended 6-1-1976 by Ord. No. 337-76]
Whenever it is provided in this Code that a board or officer shall have charge of a department or office, it shall be construed to mean that the board or officer shall have charge, subject to the supervision, direction and control of the Mayor, with the express approval of the City Council, unless otherwise expressly provided by law.
[1]
Editor's Note: Former § 3-21, Inspector of Animals, was repealed 5-13-2008 by Ord. No. 086-08.
Administrative heads of departments, boards and commissions shall, with the approval of the Mayor, have the power to appoint and employ and to suspend or discharge all subordinate officers and employees in their respective departments, subject to the Civil Service Act and laws relating thereto, and shall cause to be kept in their respective departments or boards a record, subject to public inspection, of all persons appointed or employed therein and all persons suspended or discharged and, in case of suspension or discharge, the reason therefor.
This section intentionally left blank.
[1]
Editor's Note: Former § 3-23, Residency requirement, was repealed 11-7-2019 by Ord. No. 251-2019.
[Amended 6-3-2014 by Ord. No. 100-2014]
No officer, department head, board member or employee of any department shall be interested, either directly or indirectly, in any contract for labor or materials with the department, board or commission of which he or she is a member or by whom he or she is employed.
[Amended 5-13-2008 by Ord. No. 086-08]
All terms of office for definite periods, unless otherwise provided herein or by law, shall commence as of the first Monday of January in the year of appointment and shall expire as of the first Monday of January in the year of the expiration of such term. All appointees shall serve for the term for which they are appointed and until their respective successors are duly appointed and qualified. The mayor shall make appointments, in writing, and the officers or personnel so appointed, and confirmed by the Council if such confirmation is required, shall serve until the expiration of their appointed term or until their successor takes office. The Mayor may reappoint such officers subject to Council confirmation, where applicable. An appointed officer continuing in office beyond the expiration of an original or successive appointment will serve as an employee at will subject to termination at the discretion of the Mayor which may be exercised by appointment of a successor to the office.
Where appointments or compensation are governed by the provisions of the Civil Service Act, appointments shall be made and compensation fixed and paid in accordance with the provisions of such Act rather than in accordance with this chapter if there is any conflict between this chapter and the Civil Service Act.
All departments, boards and officers of the City shall cooperate with each other and render services and assistance to each other whenever reasonable and proper.
The provisions of this chapter, insofar as they relate to the powers, duties and responsibilities of boards, officers, agents, departments or department heads, shall not restrict their respective powers, duties and responsibilities, but shall be in addition to the powers, duties and responsibilities vested in and imposed upon them by law. Each of them shall perform such other duties and assume such other responsibilities as may be reasonable and proper in order to fully and effectually execute the powers, duties and responsibilities of their respective offices.
[Amended 6-3-2014 by Ord. No. 100-2014]
All bonds required to be given by any officer, agent or employee of the City shall be approved as to form by the City Solicitor and, as to the sureties thereon, shall be approved by the Council, unless the General Laws otherwise expressly provide, before the officer, agent or employee enters upon the performance of his or her official duties. All bonds of City officers, except that of the City Clerk, shall be kept by the City Clerk, and the bond of the City Clerk shall be kept by the City Treasurer. The cost of obtaining such bonds shall be borne by the City and shall be paid from the appropriation made for such board, officer and department.
No department, board, commission, officer or agent of the City, unless authorized or required by law so to do, shall furnish any labor or materials to any person unless and until the person applying for the same shall have deposited with the City Treasurer an amount equal to the estimated cost of such labor and materials. If the amount so deposited is in excess of the cost of such labor and materials, the City Treasurer shall remit such excess to the person entitled thereto, and if such deposit proves insufficient to pay such cost, the City Treasurer shall collect the balance thereof from the person who applied for the same.
[Amended 7-29-1969 by Ord. No. 342-69]
A. 
All offices in the City Hall shall be open every day, except Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, continuously from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with a one-hour lunch period. All full-time officers, department heads, agents, employees and board members shall devote all their time during regular working hours, except during the period allowed for lunch and vacations, to their duties and shall not engage in any other business or occupation.
B. 
Notwithstanding the above, regular working hours shall be defined as follows:
[Added 5-1-1973 by Ord. No. 196-73]
(1) 
All clerical employees: 35 hours per week.
(2) 
All inspectors and all engineers: 37.5 hours per week.
(3) 
All department heads, assistant department heads, directors, assistant directors, superintendents, assistant superintendents, City Engineer, Assistant City Engineer and any other employee paid an annual salary whose hours are not established by any other ordinance, except the Mayor and Council: no less than 40 hours per week.
The several boards and officers shall have the care and custody of all papers and documents belonging to their respective department and shall transmit the same to their successor in office or to such other person as the Mayor may direct. All books, papers, documents, maps, articles or records in the custody of the several boards and officers shall be the property of the City.
All boards and officers having under their charge any property, real or personal, belonging to the City shall, at the close of each financial year and not later than the 15th day of February thereafter, make and transmit to the Mayor and Auditor an inventory thereof.
The several boards and officers of the City shall have the expenditure of the appropriations made for the several matters under their charge and shall make a written report to the Mayor at the close of each year of their doings for the year, with such suggestions and recommendations as they deem proper. Such report shall signed by the head of that department and, if filed by a board, by at least a majority of the members of such board. This annual report shall be in addition to any other reports required by the provisions of this chapter relating to a particular board or department.
[Amended 6-3-2014 by Ord. No. 100-2014]
The several boards and officers of the City shall cause to be delivered to the Auditor, at the close of each month, all accounts and claims against persons indebted to the City, who shall take account of and deliver the same to the Treasurer for collection, and no board or officer shall receive payment of any such account or claim; provided that the Board of Trustees of the Public Library may collect all fines, charges, damages to books and the price of books, papers and catalogs sold; that the City Clerk, Sealer of Weights and Measures and the keeper of the lockup may receive and collect such fees as they are entitled to receive by law; that the Board of Cemetery Commissioners may collect all accounts pertaining to its department; and that the City Solicitor may collect such claims as are committed to him or her or her for collection.
[Amended 6-3-2014 by Ord. No. 100-2014]
A. 
Unless otherwise expressly provided, every person, department or board receiving money in his or her capacity as an official or employee of the City shall keep a full, complete and accurate account thereof, which shall be open to examination or inspection by the Mayor or City Auditor at all reasonable times, and shall pay over to the City Treasurer or other person legally entitled to receive such money, on or before the 10th day of each month, all sums received or collected during the preceding month, together with a signed statement showing the amount paid, the date same was received by him or her and the person from whom it was received and why it was paid.
B. 
All sums of money which may be received on account of the sale of any real or personal property now belonging or which may hereafter belong to the City, except such as may be held for any specific trust, and all sums of money which may be received on account of the principal sum of any bond, note or other instrument of indebtedness now owned or which may hereafter be owned by the City, except such as may be held for any specific trust, and all sums which may be received on account of any other obligation or indebtedness to the City or any of its branches or departments, shall be paid to the City Treasurer by the various departments, board members, officers or persons receiving same and shall be credited by him or her to the account of estimated receipts.
All receipts from the sale of materials and supplies or other City property or for labor performed shall be turned over to the City Treasurer. Such receipts shall not be available for the use of any City department, except such as are for labor, equipment or material supplied or sold, the bills for which were duly committed to the City Auditor and specifically marked by the Mayor, "reserved for appropriation," and except as herein otherwise provided.
Charges from one department against another department for furnishing or exchanging materials, supplies or other City property or for labor performed shall be made by a transfer entry upon the books of the City Auditor and shall not be treated as cash transactions. All transfers shall have the approval of the Mayor. Any expense incurred in the sale of City property or in collections due from such sale shall be charged to the account credited with the amount so received.
[Added 10-18-1966; amended 6-3-2014 by Ord. No. 100-2014]
There shall annually in the month of January be appointed by the Mayor, subject to confirmation by the Council, a broker of record whose sole duty shall be to secure for the City an annual insurance rate, based either on a yearly term or longer if permitted by law, which rates shall be submitted to the Insurance Commission and the Mayor, and upon such submission of the rates, his or her duties shall cease.