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.