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
1. 
Public Utilities Commission
2. 
Department of Law
3. 
Police Department
4. 
Fire Department
5. 
City Clerk
6. 
Board of Assessment Appeals
7. 
Board of Ethics
8. 
(Reserved)
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.
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]
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.
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.
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.