There shall be a Town Council of seven members hereinafter referred
to as the "Council," the members of which shall serve without compensation.
[Amended 5-5-1997; 7-1-2003]
The Chair of the Council shall preside over all meetings of the Council. A vacancy in the office of the Chair of the Council, from whatever cause arising, shall be filled by appointment by the Council for the unexpired balance of the term, in accordance with §
C2-3 above. The Council at its first meeting shall appoint from among its members an Acting Chair, who shall have all powers, duties and responsibilities of the Chair of the Council in the Chair's absence or incapacity. A vacancy in the office of the Acting Chair of the Council, from whatever cause arising, shall be filled by appointment by the Council from among its members at its first meeting thereafter.
[Amended 5-5-1997; 7-1-2003]
The Town Clerk shall be the clerk of the Council. The Town Clerk
shall prepare and have available in his/her office for public inspection
the minutes of each meeting of the Council, including the vote of
each member upon any issue before the Council, in accordance with
the provisions of the Connecticut Freedom of Information Act, Chapter
14 of the General Statutes of Connecticut, Revision of 1958, as amended.
Said minutes shall be presented to the Council for approval at the
next succeeding meeting of the Council. Immediately following the
approval of the minutes by the Council, the Clerk shall record the
minutes in a record book and shall certify said minutes to be a true
and accurate record. Such record book shall be available for inspection
in the office of the Town Clerk at all reasonable times.
[Amended 11-7-1978]
The presence of four members shall constitute a quorum, but
no ordinance, resolution or vote, except a vote to adjourn or to fix
the time and place of its next meeting or to fill a vacancy in an
elective office after a sixty-day impasse has occurred, shall be adopted
by fewer than four affirmative votes.
[Amended 11-5-1968; 11-8-1988; 5-5-1997; 7-1-2003]
During the term for which he/she is elected, no member of the
Council shall hold any other Town office, elective or appointive,
or employment in or under the Town government, except by virtue of
federal statute. For the purpose of this section, the term "Town office"
shall not include membership on temporary committees, boards or commissions
and shall not include membership on committees, boards and commissions
whose powers are advisory only. Nothing herein, however, shall prohibit
the Council from appointing one of its members as a nonvoting observer
of any board or commission except the Town Board of Education, the
Town Plan and Zoning Commission, the Town Zoning Board of Appeals
and the Town Board of Assessment Appeals. Such observer may attend
all meetings of such board or commission with full right of participation
in its discussion but without a right to vote.
[Amended 11-8-1988]
A. The Council shall have, except as otherwise specifically provided
in this Charter, all the powers and duties now or hereafter conferred
or imposed by general or special statutes upon the legislative and
executive authority of municipalities, including but not restricted
to all matters of finance and budget of the Town.
B. The Council shall also have the power to make appropriations of not
more than $200,000 and may sell any parcel of land owned by the Town,
including improvements thereon, or any rights in said parcel for an
amount not in excess of $200,000, and may purchase any parcel of land,
including improvements thereon, or any rights in said parcel for any
Town purpose or purposes for an amount not in excess of $200,000.
[Amended 7-1-2003]
C. The Council shall be the exclusive and final authority concerning the budget and tax rate, subject, however, to the provisions of Article
IX of this Charter.
D. The Council shall have the exclusive power to make, alter and repeal
ordinances or resolutions, provided that such ordinances and resolutions
are not inconsistent with the provisions of this Charter or with the
general statutes of the state.
E. The Council, within its executive powers, shall be empowered to create,
abolish, consolidate or merge any and all departments, offices or
commissions, to regulate the operation of departments, offices or
commissions including but not restricted to the fixing of compensation
for employees and officers of the Town, and shall be empowered to
fix the charges to be made for service rendered by the Town as a municipal
corporation, except as otherwise provided by statute.
A. Except as otherwise provided by other provisions of this Charter,
the Council shall have and exercise all of the powers with regard
to municipal ordinances and regulations granted to towns by the General
Statutes and shall have all the powers and duties granted by the General
Statutes to the Town Meeting, the Board of Finance and the Board of
Selectmen.
[Amended 9-28-1993]
B. In addition thereto, the Council shall have all the powers and duties
granted to the legislative body of the Town by C.G.S. § 10-153d,
as the same may from time to time be amended, relating to contracts
between the Town Board of Education and organizations representing
administrators' and/or teachers' units.
[Amended 11-3-1970; 9-28-1993; 7-1-2003]
C. In addition thereto, except when otherwise provided by statute, the
Council may provide for the payment, in part or in whole, of the cost
of a public work or improvement by assessment, taxation, service charge,
connection charge or such other method of payment as shall be deemed
fair and equitable on or by the owners of real estate especially benefiting
thereby, whether or not such real estate abuts upon such work or improvement,
and enforce or collect such assessments, taxes or other charges as
a personal liability of the owner or directly as a lien on the lands
benefited. In the case of such public improvements as shall exclusively
benefit the owners of real estate located in a portion of the Town
only, the Council shall provide for the payment of the cost of the
layout, construction, alteration, maintenance and repair thereof by
assessment, taxation, service charge, connection charge or such other
method of payment as shall be deemed fair and equitable on or by the
owners of real estate exclusively benefited thereby. The Council may
defer the payment or payments hereinbefore provided in such manner
as it shall deem just and equitable.
A. The Council shall appoint a Town Manager for an indefinite term.
B. The Council shall also appoint, for terms coextensive with its own,
a Corporation Counsel, an Assistant Corporation Counsel, a Town Treasurer
and a Deputy Town Treasurer and shall fill any vacancy in any such
office for the unexpired portion of the term. Said officers shall
hold office until their successors are appointed and qualified. The
Town Treasurer shall have the powers and duties prescribed by the
General Statutes.
C. The Council shall also appoint all officers of the Town who do not
receive compensation from the Town for their services as officers
and all members of boards, commissions and agencies of the Town who
do not receive compensation from the Town for their services as members,
except as otherwise specifically provided in this charter.
[Added 11-5-1968]
In addition to the office of Town Manager, Corporation Counsel
and Assistant Corporation Counsel as established under the provisions
of this article, unless otherwise provided by General Statute or by
this Charter, the Council may establish any other office, department
or division with such powers and duties as it may deem necessary to
the proper administration of the Town government.
[Amended 9-28-1993]
Unless otherwise provided by statute, the Council shall, by
ordinance, establish the qualifications to be possessed by candidates
for appointment to offices or positions in departments where such
positions shall require responsibility for the direction and operation
of such office or department. The Council shall establish, amend or
change the pay scale for all positions of employment in the Town.
The Town Manager, Town Clerk, Treasurer, Collector of Revenue
and such other officers as may be required to do so by the vote of
the Council shall, before entering on their respective official duties,
execute to the Town, in form prescribed by the Corporation Counsel,
and file with the Town Clerk a surety company bond, in a penal sum
to be fixed by the Council, conditioned upon the faithful performance
of such official duties. Premiums for such bonds shall be paid by
the Town.
[Amended 5-5-1997]
The Council may provide, by ordinance, a system of retirement
allowances for the Town's regular full-time paid employees and
for contribution by employees and the Town to a fund from which such
allowance shall be paid. Such ordinance may provide for compulsory
retirement, to the extent permitted by law, at an age to be determined.
The Town may enter into a contract with any insurance company authorized
to do business in this state for the purpose of insuring the whole
or any part of its retirement plan or may elect to participate in
the Connecticut Municipal Employees Fund in the manner provided in
the act establishing the same.
[Amended 11-8-1988; 5-5-1997; 7-1-2003]
The Council shall have the power to investigate any and all
departments, offices and agencies of the Town. Its Chair shall, for
the purposes of such investigation, have the power to issue subpoenas,
and at his/her request any Judge of the Superior Court may issue a
capias for the appearance of witnesses and the production of books
and papers.
At least one public hearing, 10 days' notice of which shall
be given by publication in a newspaper having a circulation in the
Town and by posting in such public place or places as the Council
shall by ordinance prescribe, shall be held by the Council or a committee
thereof before any ordinance, except one relating to appointment or
designation of officers of the Council or its procedure, shall be
passed. The passage of such ordinance shall be advertised in a newspaper
having a circulation in said Town and shall not become effective until
30 days after such publication. All ordinances shall be filed with
the Town Clerk and compiled and published in accordance with the General
Statutes.