This charter may be replaced, revised or amended in accordance with any procedures made available under the Constitution of the Commonwealth and any laws of the Commonwealth enacted to implement said constitutional provisions.
This charter may be revised or amended through the enactment of special laws by the General Court on petition filed or approved by the voters of the Town or the Town Meeting in accordance with Article LXXXIX (89) of the Constitution of the Commonwealth.
The provisions of this charter are severable. If any of the provisions of this charter are held to be unconstitutional, or invalid, the remaining provisions of this charter shall not be affected thereby. If the application of this charter, or any of its provisions, to any person or circumstances is held to be invalid, the application of said charter and its provisions to other persons or circumstances shall not be affected thereby.
The following rules shall apply when interpreting the charter:
(a) 
Specific provisions to prevail. To the extent that any specific provision of the charter shall conflict with any provision expressed in general terms, the specific provision shall prevail.
(b) 
Number and Gender. Words imparting the singular number may extend and be applied to several persons or things; words imparting the plural number may include the singular; words imparting the masculine gender shall include the feminine gender.
(c) 
References to General Laws. All references to the laws of the Commonwealth contained in the charter refer to the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and are intended to include any amendments or revisions to such chapters and sections or to the corresponding chapters and sections of any rearrangement of the general laws enacted subsequent to the adoption of the charter.
(d) 
Computation of Time. Unless otherwise provided, in computing time under this charter, if seven (7) days or less, only business days, not including Saturdays, Sundays or legal holidays shall be counted; if more than seven (7) days, every day shall be counted.
[Amended 11-5-2018 RTM by Art. 28]
Unless another meaning is clearly apparent from the manner in which the word is used, the following words as used in the charter shall have the following meanings:
(a) 
Charter - The word "charter" shall mean this charter and any amendments to it made through any methods provided under Article LXXXIX (89) of the Amendments of the Constitution of the Commonwealth.
(b) 
Town - The word "Town" shall mean the Town of Wakefield.
(c) 
Voters - The word "voters" shall mean registered voters of the Town.
(d) 
Majority Vote - The words "majority vote" shall mean a majority of those present and voting, provided a quorum is present when a vote is taken, unless another number is required by the laws of the Commonwealth, by this charter, or by the Town Meeting's own rules.
(e) 
Town Agency or Agency - The words "Town agency" or the word "agency" shall mean any board, council, commission, committee, department or office of Town government, whether elected, appointed or otherwise constituted.
[Amended 11-6-2017 RTM by Art. 5]
(f) 
Multiple Member Body - The words '"multiple member body'" shall mean any board, council, commission or committee.
[Amended 11-6-2017 RTM by Art. 5]
(g) 
Written Notice - Whenever written notice to any person may or shall be given under this charter, such notice may be accomplished by email, provided that the recipient has agreed in writing to receive notices by email, and further provided that nothing herein shall supersede any requirement of state or federal law concerning the manner in which notice must be given in any particular circumstances.
[Added 11-5-2018 RTM by Art. 32[1]]
[1]
Editor's Note: This subsection was adopted as Subsection (f), but was resdesignated for organizational purposes.
(a) 
Charter Review. At least once in every ten (10) years, in each year ending in an eight (8), a special committee shall be appointed by the Town Council for the purpose of reviewing this charter and to make a report, with recommendations, to the Town Meeting, concerning any proposed amendments which said committee may determine to be necessary or desirable.
(b) 
By-Law Review. The Town Council shall, at five (5) year intervals, in each year ending in a two (2) or in a seven (7), appoint a special committee for the purpose of reviewing the Town by-laws and to make a report, with recommendations, to the Town Meeting, concerning any proposed revision, recodification, or amendment which said committee may determine to be necessary or desirable.