(a)
The Board of Selectmen shall appoint, whether for
full terms or to fill vacancies, the members of all boards and commissions
authorized by this chapter. From election to the start of the new
term, the Board of Selectmen may make no appointments to appointive
boards or commissions. The Board of Selectmen may not make or submit
appointments for full terms which do not commence during the term
of office of the Board of Selectmen.
(b)
All members of appointive boards or commissions shall
be registered voters and residents of the town, but need not be affiliated
with a political party, and shall vacate their positions on ceasing
to be a registered voter or resident.
(c)
The Board of Selectmen shall by appointment fill any
vacancy on any board or commission authorized by this chapter within
120 days after the occurrence.
[Added referendum 11-8-2005, effective 12-8-2005[1]]
[1]
Editor's Note: The referendum also provided
for the redesignation of former Subsection (c) as Subsection (d).
(d)
The Board of Selectmen shall announce vacancies on appointed boards and commissions in a local newspaper with general circulation, not more than 45 days and not less than 15 days before filling any vacancy. Such announcement shall state that any registered voter and resident is eligible for appointment regardless of party affiliation or nonaffiliation, subject to requirements of Section 4-3.
(a)
The terms of appointment to any appointive board shall
be four years except for boards having three members, in which case
the terms shall be three years. A member shall continue to hold office
until his or her successor has been appointed and has qualified. All
terms shall be established to expire as nearly as possible at regularly
staggered annual intervals.
(b)
A member of an appointed board or commission can serve
no longer than two full consecutive terms. One year after completing
two full consecutive terms, such person shall become eligible for
appointment to the same board or commission. Term limits as specified
by this subsection shall apply to alternate members, but time spent
as an alternate member shall not be counted as the term of a regular
member should an alternate become a regular member.
[Amended referendum 11-8-2005, effective 12-8-2005]
(c)
The term of a chairperson of an appointed board or
commission shall be limited to four consecutive years. One year after
completing four consecutive years, such person shall become eligible
to serve as a chairperson of the same board or commission.
The number of members of any one political party
who may be appointed to any appointive board or commission shall not
exceed a bare majority of the whole membership of that board or commission.
(a)
Appointive boards or commissions shall have the powers
and duties prescribed by this charter, or by ordinance creating such
boards or commissions.
(b)
They shall choose a chairperson and a secretary, and
shall make regulations for the conduct of their meetings and the execution
of their duties. Any such regulations shall be filed with the Town
Clerk and shall become effective upon such filing.
(c)
The members of appointive boards shall serve without
compensation, except that necessary expenses incurred in the performance
of their duties may be paid from an appropriation authorized for the
purpose.
(a)
There shall be a Planning and Zoning Commission of
seven members with the powers and duties of planning and zoning commissions
prescribed by the Connecticut General Statutes.
[Amended referendum 11-4-2008, effective 12-4-2008]
(b)
Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 3-4(a)(4),
the Planning and Zoning Commission shall employ (i) a Town Planner
and (ii) a Planning and Zoning Administrator, and may contract for
technical services.
(c)
There shall be three alternate members of the Planning
and Zoning Commission, serving four year terms, with the powers and
duties prescribed by the Connecticut General Statutes.
[Amended referendum 11-4-2008, effective 12-4-2008]
[Amended referendum 11-4-2008, effective 12-4-2008]
(a)
There shall be a Zoning Board of Appeals of five members
with the powers and duties of zoning boards of appeals prescribed
by the Connecticut General Statutes.
(b)
There shall be three alternate members of the Zoning
Board of Appeals, serving four-year terms, with the powers and duties
prescribed by the Connecticut General Statutes.
(a)
There shall be a Board of Police Commissioners of five members. The Board of Police Commissioners, under the general supervision of the Board of Selectmen, shall be charged with the management of the Police Department as further prescribed in Section 5-2 of this charter.
(b)
The Board of Police Commissioners shall be the traffic
authority for the town, with the powers and duties prescribed by the
Connecticut General Statutes.
[Amended referendum 11-4-2008, effective 12-4-2008]
[Amended referendum 11-8-2005, effective 12-8-2005]
There shall be a Board of Fire Commissioners of five members. The Board of Fire Commissioners, under the general supervision of the Board of Selectmen, shall be charged with the management of the Fire Department as further prescribed in Section 5-3 of this charter.
There shall be a Board of Ethics consisting
of five members. The Board shall act in an advisory capacity to ensure
that each Town public officer, official, employee and appointee, whether
paid or unpaid, and whether full or part-time, shall be governed by
a Code of Ethics as established by an ordinance.
There shall be a Parks and Recreation Commission
of nine members, created under the authority of Section 7-148 of the
Connecticut general statutes. Members shall serve four-year terms.
The commission is charged under the general direction of the Board
of Selectmen, with the control, development management, operation
and maintenance of a system of parks, recreational areas and facilities,
as set forth by ordinance.
(a)
There shall be a Public Works Commission of five members, created under the authority of Section 7-148 of the Connecticut General Statutes. Members shall serve four year terms. The Commission is charged, under the general direction of the Board of Selectmen, with the management and oversight of the Public Works Department as further prescribed in Section 5-1 of this charter.
(b)
There shall be two alternate members of the Public
Works Commission, serving four year terms. Any such alternate member
shall, when seated, have all the powers and duties of a member of
the commission.
(a)
Appointive boards may be created and their powers
and duties specified by ordinance. Appointive boards authorized by
this section may be abolished or consolidated, their powers and duties
may be altered and the number of their members may be changed by ordinance.
(b)
When the ordinance creating or altering an appointive
board authorized by this section so provides, one or more members
of the Board of Selectmen may be appointed to and serve as voting
members of that board.
(c)
The Board of Selectmen may appoint school building
and other committees, including a standing building committee, in
accordance with resolutions of town meeting. If the town meeting resolution
so provides, members of the Board of Selectmen may serve on such committees.
The Board of Selectmen may create advisory or study committees as
the Board finds desirable in the discharge of its duties.
(a)
A member of an appointive board, commission or committee
may be removed for cause by the Board of Selectmen. Reason for removal
for cause shall include, but not be limited to, poor attendance at
regularly scheduled meetings. What constitutes poor attendance shall
be determined by the members of that board commission or committee.
(b)
No such removal for cause shall be effected unless
the member (1) has received a statement in writing, prepared either
by the First Selectman or by the remaining members of the appointive
board, commission or committee, of the reasons why he or she should
be removed and (2) has, not less than fifteen days after the delivery
of the statement of reasons, been afforded an opportunity for a hearing
before the Board of Selectmen, at which he or she may appear with
counsel.
[Amended referendum 11-4-2008, effective 12-4-2008]
