A.
Appointments; terms; Chairperson; meetings. The City
shall continue to have a Public Utilities Commission consisting of
five members. All members shall serve for three years and the City
Council shall appoint members to the Public Utilities Commission to
succeed the members whose terms have expired from time to time. The
members of said Commission shall have the power to elect, by majority
vote, one of the members of said Commission as Chairperson. Said Commission
shall meet at least once monthly on a date to be determined by said
Commission. Special meetings shall be held on an appointed date when
said special meeting is requested in writing by either the Chairperson,
the City Manager, or a majority of the members of said Commission
and directed to the Secretary of the Commission; provided, however,
that at least 24 hours' notice be given, either orally or in writing,
to the members of said Commission.
[Amended 11-3-1987; 11-7-2006]
B.
Powers and duties. There shall be a Public Utilities
Commission appointed in the manner prescribed in this Charter. Said
Commission shall consist of at least three divisions: a Water Division,
a Sewer Division, a Fiscal Division and such other divisions as from
time to time may be created by the City Council. Said Commission shall
be responsible for administering, directing and coordinating the efficient
operation of those divisions under its control. Except as otherwise
provided in this Charter, all provisions of the General Statutes with
respect to the distribution of water by municipalities and municipal
sewerage systems as well as all bylaws, rules and regulations of and
relating to the Water and Sewer Departments of the City of Meriden
in effect on the effective date of this Charter shall remain in force
and effect and are to be administered by the City and said Commission.
[Amended 11-7-2006]
C.
Water Division. The Water Division shall be responsible,
subject to said Commission, for matters relating to water supply treatment,
distribution and transmission.
D.
Sewer Division. The Sewer Division shall be responsible,
subject to said Commission, for matters relating to sewage treatment
and collection.
E.
Fiscal Division. The Fiscal Division shall be responsible,
subject to said Commission, for matters relating to the assessment
and collection of all water and sewer charges and assessments. The
Fiscal Division shall keep and maintain separate books and accounts
for the Water and Sewer Divisions and such other divisions as may
be established. If the Commission shall decide that a joint operation
shall be advisable and economical, the Commission shall instruct the
Fiscal Division to prorate any such joint expense among the divisions
as the Commission determines to be equitable.
F.
Budget. Said Commission shall annually cause to be prepared and submitted a budget for the approval of the City Council in the manner prescribed in Chapter VIII of this Charter, except that the utilities budget shall contain an estimate of the gross revenues of each division, as well as the expenditures thereof, and a statement showing receipts and payments among utilities and other City departments and commissions for the use of personal services, equipment and facilities in accordance with the provisions of Subsection E of this section. Such budget shall provide for the setting aside from annual net income of an adequate depreciation reserve and/or surplus for each division. The Commission shall also prepare recommended water and sewer rate and assessment charges to be submitted to the City Council once monthly on a date to be determined by said Commission. Special meetings shall be held on an appointed date when said special meeting is requested in writing by either the Chairperson, the City Manager or a majority of the members of the said Commission and directed to the Secretary of the Commission; provided, however, that at least 24 hours' notice be given, either orally or in writing, to the members of said Commission.
[Amended 11-3-1987]
[1]
Editor's Note: This section originally included
Subsections B through F twice. The second set of Subsections B through
F was deleted 11-7-2006.
[Amended 11-3-1987; 11-8-1988; 6-12-1990; 6-26-1996]
The City Council shall have the power to create,
establish or eliminate, after public hearing, all boards, commissions
and departments, except the hereinafter-listed boards, commissions
and departments and those mandated by state statute, as it deems necessary
for the efficient, orderly, economical and coordinated operation of
the municipal government, by an affirmative vote of 2/3 of its full
membership.
List of Boards, Commissions and Departments
Which Cannot be Consolidated or Eliminated
The City Council shall appoint and may remove
a Corporation Counsel who shall be an attorney at law admitted to
practice law in this state, in good standing as a member of the Connecticut
Bar and who has been in active practice of his/her profession in Connecticut
for at least five years. He/she shall appear for and protect the rights
of the City in all actions, suits or proceedings brought by or against
it or any of its departments, officers, agencies, boards or commissions.
He/she shall be the legal advisor of the City Council, or any committee
thereof, the City Manager, all City officers, boards and commissions
and such other officials as the City Council shall from time to time
authorize, in all matters affecting the City and shall, upon written
request, furnish them with a written opinion of any question of law
involving their respective powers and duties. Upon request, he/she
shall prepare or approve forms of contracts or other instruments to
which the City is a party or in which it has an interest. He/she shall
have power, with approval of the City Council, to appeal from orders,
decisions and judgments and, subject to the approval of the City Council
and within the appropriation therefor, to compromise or settle any
claims by or against the City. Whenever any person violates or threatens
to violate any order or regulation of the City of Meriden, the Corporation
Counsel is authorized in the name of the City to institute, before
any court having jurisdiction, a civil action praying for an injunction
restraining any such person from committing or continuing such violation.
The Corporation Counsel, with the written consent of the City Council,
may employ assistant corporation counsels and/or special counsel to
assist him/her in the conduct of the Department of Law. The Corporation
Counsel may appoint such other employees and incur such other expenses
as he/she may deem necessary, provided that an appropriation has been
made therefor.
A.
Powers. The Police Department shall be responsible
for the preservation of the public peace, prevention of crime, apprehension
of criminals, regulation of traffic, protection of the rights of persons
and property and enforcement of the laws of the state and the ordinances
of the City of Meriden, and all rules and regulations made in accordance
therewith. All members of the Department, except clerical and other
personnel without law enforcement responsibility, shall have the powers
and duties with respect to the service of criminal process and enforcement
of criminal laws as are vested in police officers by the General Statutes
of the State of Connecticut as from time to time amended.
B.
Chief of Police. The City Manager shall appoint and
may remove, subject to the provisions of § 7-278 of the
General Statutes, as amended, a Chief of Police who shall appoint
and may remove, subject to such rules and regulations as may be adopted
pursuant to the merit system provisions of Chapter IX of this Charter,
all other officers and employees of the Police Department, including
a Dog Warden, whose powers and duties shall be as provided in Chapter
435 of the General Statutes, as amended. The Chief of Police shall
assign all members of the Department to their respective posts, shifts,
details and duties. He/she shall make rules and regulations concerning
the operation of the Department and the conduct of all officers and
employees thereof. He/she shall be responsible for the efficiency,
discipline and good conduct of the Department and for the care and
custody of all property used by the Department. Disobedience to the
lawful orders, rules and regulations of the Chief shall be grounds
for dismissal or for other appropriate disciplinary action.
A.
Powers. The Fire Department shall be responsible for
the protection of life and property within the City of Meriden from
fire and for the enforcement of all laws, ordinances and regulations
relating to fire prevention or safety.
B.
Fire Chief. The City Manager shall appoint and may
remove, subject to the provisions of § 7-302 of the General
Statutes of the State of Connecticut, as from time to time may be
amended, a Fire Chief who shall appoint and may remove, subject to
such rules and regulations as may be adopted pursuant to the merit
system provisions of Chapter IX of this Charter, all other officers
and employees of the Fire Department. He/she shall assign all members
of the Department to their respective posts, shifts, details and duties.
He/she shall make rules and regulations concerning the operation of
the Department and the conduct of all officers and employees thereof.
He/she shall be responsible for the efficiency, discipline and good
conduct of the Department and for the care and custody of all property
used by the Department. Disobedience to the lawful orders, rules and
regulations of the Chief shall be grounds for dismissal or for other
appropriate disciplinary action.
C.
Fire Marshal. The City Manager shall appoint and may
remove, subject to the provisions of §§ 29-46 and 29-47
of the General Statutes of the State of Connecticut, as from time
to time may be amended,[1] a Fire Marshal for the City of Meriden. The Fire Marshal
shall perform the duties prescribed for such an officer by the General
Statutes and as prescribed by the City Council by ordinance or resolution
not inconsistent therewith.
[1]
Editor's Note: See now C.G.S. §§ 29-299
and 29-300, respectively.
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The City Clerk shall also be the Town Clerk
and Registrar of Vital Statistics and have all of the offices, duties
and powers vested in said office by the laws of the State of Connecticut
and shall have such other powers and duties as are prescribed in this
Charter and by the City Council and may appoint and remove, in his/her
discretion, one unclassified assistant to the City Clerk who may,
at his/her discretion, perform all duties of Town and City Clerk.
He/she shall devote his/her full time to the duties of his/her office.
The City Clerk shall serve for a term of four years and until his/her
successor shall be elected and qualified and shall take office on
the first Monday of December immediately following his/her election.
[Amended 11-3-1992] |
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The City Clerk shall receive compensation fixed
by the City Council, and all fees collected by him/her shall be paid
to the Department of Finance.
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The City Clerk and his/her assistants shall
have power to administer oaths and take affidavits and acknowledgements,
and all records of such work or copies certified by him/her or his/her
assistants shall have the same validity as records of town clerks
and shall be received in evidence in all courts.
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The City Clerk shall accept the recording of
all proper legal documents until the close of business at 5:00 p.m.,
unless otherwise directed by an emergency order of the Manager.
[Amended 11-3-1992] |
[Amended 6-26-1996]
The City Council shall appoint a Board of Assessment
Appeals consisting of three members who shall serve for terms of two
years. They shall exercise all the powers and perform all the duties
prescribed for Boards of Assessment Appeals by the General Statutes.
They shall keep correct minutes of their meetings and shall file a
report of their findings with the Department of Finance and the City
Clerk at the completion of their work. Two members shall form a quorum
of said Board, and the concurrence of two votes shall be necessary
for the transaction of its business.
The Board of Assessment Appeals shall hear all
appeals regarding assessments, in the manner by the General Statutes
provided as to appeals from assessments of City taxes.
Special meetings of said Board may be called
by the City Manager at any time upon reasonable notice to the members
and shall be called at any time upon the written request of a majority
of the members of said Board.
[Amended 6-26-1996]
There shall be a Board of Ethics consisting
of five members. Members shall be appointed in accordance with § C3-3J
of the City Charter for a term of three years, except that of the
initially appointed members, who will serve for one year, two for
two years, and two for three years. No more than two shall be members
of the same political party.
All members shall be electors of the municipality.
No member shall be appointed or continue to serve who shall (1) hold
or be nominated for any elective public office, (2) have held public
office, including office as a member of a party committee as defined
by state statute, or have been a declared candidate for elective public
office, or have been a member of any municipal agency, board, commission
or committee, during a one-year period prior to appointment, (3) hold
office in any party committee defined by state statute, (4) serve
as a member of any other municipal agency, board, commission or committee,
(5) be a City employee.
The City Council shall enact, and may amend
from time to time, a Code of Ethics to provide guidelines for ethical
standards of conduct for all City officials, employees, and contractors,
by setting forth those acts or actions which are incompatible with
the best interests of the City, by directing disclosure of private
financial or other interests in matters affecting the City, by providing
for a procedure by which said Board shall hear complaints and issue
decisions and advisory opinions, by providing for penalties and the
effect of violation of such code, and by defining conflicts of interest
under said code, all in conformity with state statutes, as the same
may be amended from time to time.
Any elected official, department head or chief
assistant to an elected official or department head shall not be entitled
to or receive or claim additional compensation for any personal services
rendered for or on behalf of the City of Meriden.
[Amended 11-3-1987]
In addition to the removal powers and procedures set forth in § C3-3M, the City Council may, by majority vote, remove any person appointed by it from any board, commission or committee for nonattendance.
Such removal must be on an individual basis
and must be voted within 30 days of the date of the introduction of
the removal resolution.
[Amended 11-7-2006]
Unless otherwise provided in this Charter or
otherwise directed by ordinance, the term of all appointments to boards,
commissions and agencies made by the City Council shall be three years
from the first day of February.
In the event that the term of any appointee
expires and until a new appointment is made by the City Council, the
incumbent appointee shall continue to serve in that office until the
new appointment is made. The new appointee shall serve the remainder
of the three-year term from the date of the expiration of the previous
term.
The City Council shall provide by resolution
for any staggered terms which it may deem necessary to implement its
appointing authority by majority vote.
