Town of Old Saybrook, CT CHAPTER 5 ELECTIVE OFFICERS, BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS

Section 1 Powers and Duties.

Except as otherwise provided in this Charter, all elected Town officers, boards and commissions shall have the powers and duties prescribed by law. All such officers and members of boards and commissions shall be sworn before taking each term of office and the officer administering the oath shall record such fact in the Office of the Town Clerk in accordance with the requirements of the Connecticut General Statutes.

Section 2 Elective Officers, Boards and Commissions.

The following Town officers, boards and commissions shall be elective, and all others shall be appointive: First Selectman, Selectmen, Town Clerk, Tax Collector, Town Treasurer, the Board of Finance, the Board of Assessment Appeals, the Zoning Board of Appeals, the Board of Education, the Planning Commission, the Zoning Commission, the Parks and Recreation Commission, the Board of Police Commissioners, the Harbor Management Commission and the Registrars of Voters.

Section 3 Board of Selectmen.

The Board of Selectmen shall consist of the First Selectman and the two Selectmen who shall be elected at each biennial municipal election in accordance with the procedure and subject to the requirements of Section 9-188 of the General Statutes of Connecticut. The term of office for members of the Board of Selectmen shall be two years. The powers and duties of the Board of Selectmen and the First Selectman are set forth as Chapter 3 and Chapter 4 of this Charter.

Section 4 Town Clerk.

The Town Clerk shall serve for a term of four (4) years. His or her term of office shall commence on the first Monday of January, next succeeding his or her election. He or she shall have all the powers and duties prescribed by the Constitution and the General Statutes of Connecticut, and of this Charter. He or she shall be, ex officio, the Registrar of Vital Statistics of the Town. He or she shall appoint and may remove all assistants and employees of his or her office, subject to the provisions of such collective bargaining contracts as may be entered into by the Town, and to budgetary approval.

Section 5 Tax Collector.

The Tax Collector shall have all of the powers and duties prescribed by the General Statutes of Connecticut, and by this Charter. The Tax Collector shall serve for a term of four (4) years. He or she may appoint and may remove all assistants and employees of his or her office, subject to the provisions of such collective bargaining contracts as may be entered into by the Town, and to budgetary approval.

Section 6 Town Treasurer.

The Town Treasurer shall serve for a term of two (2) years and shall have all of the powers and duties prescribed by the General Statutes of Connecticut and by this Charter.

Section 7 Other Officers and Employees.

Elective Town officials, boards, commissions and agencies have the right to hire and may remove such assistants as may be necessary for the performance of their duties, conditioned on and subject to their securing budget approval for this purpose and consistent with such collective bargaining contracts as may be entered into by the Town.

Section 8 Board of Finance.

(a) Composition. The Board of Finance shall consist of seven (7) members, each of whom shall serve for a term of four (4) years. The terms of the members shall be staggered so that three (3) members shall be elected at a regular biennial municipal election and four (4) members shall be elected at the following regular biennial municipal election.

(b) Duties and Powers. The Board of Finance shall have all of the duties, responsibilities and powers granted to or imposed upon boards of finance by the General Statutes of Connecticut, Chapter 106,[1] and by this Charter.

[1] Editor's Note: See C.G.S. § 7-340 et seq.

(c) Annual Audit. The Board of Finance shall designate an independent certified public accountant or firm of independent certified public accountants to audit the books and accounts of the Town annually in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 111 of the General Statutes.[2]

[2] Editor's Note: See C.G.S. § 7-391 et seq.

Section 9 Board of Assessment Appeals.

(a) Composition. The Board of Assessment Appeals shall consist of three (3) members, each of whom shall serve for a term of four years. The terms of the members shall be staggered so that one (1) member shall be elected at a regular biennial municipal election and two (2) members shall be elected at the following regular biennial municipal election.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board of Selectmen may, without Town Meeting approval, appoint up to five (5) additional members of the Board of Assessment Appeals, to hear appeals from any full or statistical town-wide revaluation.

(b) Duties and Powers. The Board of Assessment Appeals shall have all of the duties, responsibilities and powers granted to boards of assessment appeals under the provisions of Chapter 203 of the General Statutes of Connecticut[1] and by this Charter.

[1] Editor's Note: See C.G.S. § 12-4 et seq.

Section 10 Zoning Board of Appeals

(a) Composition of Zoning Board of Appeals. The Zoning Board of Appeals shall consist of five (5) members, each of whom shall serve for a term of four (4) years. Two members shall be elected at a regular biennial municipal election; three members shall be elected at the following regular biennial municipal election.

(b) Powers and Duties. The Zoning Board of Appeals shall have the power and duties as prescribed in Chapter 124 of the General Statutes of Connecticut.[1]

[1] Editor's Note: See C.G.S. § 8-5 et seq.

Section 11 Board of Education. [1]

(a) Composition. The Board of Education shall consist of nine (9) members, each of whom shall serve for a term of four (4) years. The terms of the members shall be staggered so that four (4) members shall be elected at a regular biennial municipal election and five (5) members shall be elected at the following regular biennial municipal election.

(b) Powers and Duties. The Board of Education shall have all of the duties, responsibilities and powers granted to or imposed upon boards of education by the General Statutes of Connecticut and by this Charter.

[1] Editor's Note: See also Town Code Ch. 8, Boards, Committees and Commissions, Art. IX, Board of Education.

Section 12 Planning Commission.

(a) Composition. The Planning Commission shall consist of five (5) members, each of whom shall serve for a term of four (4) years. Two members shall be elected at a regular biennial municipal election; three members shall be elected at the following regular biennial municipal election.

(b) Vacancies. Vacancies for the terms of regular members of the Planning Commission shall be filled by the Commission within sixty (60) days from the time the office becomes vacant, for the unexpired portion of the term.

(c) Powers and Duties. The Planning Commission shall have all of the powers and duties as prescribed in Chapter 126 of the General Statutes of Connecticut.[1]

[1] Editor's Note: See C.G.S. § 8-18 et seq.

Section 13 Zoning Commission.

(a) Composition. The Zoning Commission shall consist of five (5) members, each of whom shall serve for a term of four (4) years. Two members shall be elected at a regular biennial municipal election; three members shall be elected at the following regular biennial municipal election.

(b) Powers and Duties. The Zoning Commission shall have all of the powers and duties prescribed in Chapter 124 of the General Statutes of Connecticut.[1]

[1] Editor's Note: See C.G.S. § 8-5 et seq.

Section 14 Parks and Recreation Commission.

(a) Composition. The Parks and Recreation Commission shall consist of seven (7) members, each of whom shall serve for a term of four (4) years, three of whom shall be elected at a regular biennial municipal election and four of whom shall be elected at the following regular biennial municipal election. No more than four (4) members of the Commission shall be of the same political party.

(b) Powers and Duties. The Parks and Recreation Commission shall have the duties and powers granted to such commissions by the General Statutes of Connecticut, and by Old Saybrook Code Chapter 44, as amended.

Section 15 Board of Police Commissioners. [1]

(a) Composition. The Board of Police Commissioners shall consist of seven (7) members, each of whom shall serve for a term of four (4) years, four (4) of whom shall be elected at a regular biennial municipal election and three (3) of whom shall be elected at the following regular biennial municipal election. They shall be elected in accordance with the provisions of Section 7-274 of the General Statutes of Connecticut,

(b) Powers and Duties. The Board of Police Commissioners shall have the duties and powers granted to boards of police commissioners by the General Statutes of Connecticut.

[1] Editor's Note: See also Town Code Ch. 8, Boards, Committees and Commissions, Art. I, Board of Police Commissioners.

Section 16 Harbor Management Commission. [1]

(a) Composition. The Harbor Management Commission shall consist of five (5) members, each of whom shall serve for a term of four (4) years, three of whom shall be elected at a regular biennial municipal election and two of whom shall be elected at the following regular biennial election. Not more than three (3) members of the Commission shall be of the same political party. The Director of Health and the Harbor Master for the Town shall be ex-officio members of said commission, without vote.

(b) Powers and Duties. The Harbor Management Commission shall have the duties and powers granted to such commissions by Connecticut General Statutes, Sec. 22a-113k and 22a-1131, by this Charter, and by Old Saybrook ordinances.

[1] Editor's Note: See also Town Code Ch. 8, Boards, Committees and Commissions, Art. XI, Harbor Management Commission.

Section 17 Vacancies.

(a) Vacancies in the Board of Selectmen shall be filled in accordance with the procedures prescribed under the provisions of Connecticut General Statutes, Sec. 9-222.

(b) Unless otherwise specifically provided in this Charter, a vacancy in any other elective town office, from any cause, shall be filled at the next municipal election, but, until such vacancy is so filled, it shall be filled by the selectmen. The Board of Selectmen shall make such appointments within sixty (60) days of the date of the office became vacant. If the Board of Selectmen shall fail to fill any vacancy in an elective office on or before sixty (60) days after receiving written notice of such vacancy the board or commission within which such vacancy has occurred shall itself fill such vacancy. For the purpose of the limits on majority representation set forth in Chapter 2, Section 2 of this Charter, the party affiliation of any person filling a vacancy under provisions of this section shall have priority over the party affiliation of persons elected to said board for new terms of office.

(c) Any elected official, board or commission member may resign his or her office by notifying the Town Clerk in writing. The office shall be deemed vacant on the effective date indicated in such letter of resignation, except that any elective office shall be deemed to be vacant as of the date the elected official, board or commission member ceases to be an elector of the Town.