[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town of Putnam as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
[Adopted 2-2-1987 STM]
There is hereby created a regional resource recovery authority pursuant to Sections 7-273aa to 7-273oo of the Connecticut General Statutes to be known as the "Northeastern Connecticut Regional Resource Recovery Authority"; principal office address being P.O. Box 198, Brooklyn, CT 06234, subject to the modifications and limitations set forth in this article. The Northeastern Connecticut Regional Resource Recovery Authority shall have all the powers and duties of a municipal authority and of a regional authority pursuant to Chapters 103b, 446d (formerly 361a) and 446e (formerly 351b) of the Connecticut General Statutes.
The first members of the Authority are: the Town of Canterbury, Canterbury Town Hall, P.O. Box 26, Canterbury, CT 06331, whose initial representative's term of office shall be one year; the Town of Killingly, Killingly Town Hall, 127 Main Street, Danielson, CT 06239, whose initial representative's term of office shall be two years; the Town of Plainfield, Plainfield Town Hall, 8 Community Avenue, Plainfield, CT 06374, whose initial representative's term of office shall be three years; the Town of Pomfret, Pomfret Town Office Building, R.F.D. #1, Pomfret Center, CT 06259, whose initial representative's term of office shall be one year; the Town of Putnam, Putnam Town Hall, 126 Church Street, Putnam, CT 06260, whose initial representative's term of office shall be two years; and the Town of Thompson, Thompson Municipal Building, North Grosvenordale, CT 06255, whose initial representative's term of office shall be three years. In the event that any of the above-named municipalities do not adopt this article, the terms of office of the initial representatives as shown above shall be redefined according to § 115-4 of this article for any of the above-named municipalities which adopt this article.
Membership in the Authority shall consist of those municipalities that adopt this joint resolution as set forth in § 115-7 of this article. The representative to the Authority from each member Town shall be appointed by the Board of Selectmen of each municipality, except for the representative of the Town of Killingly, who shall be appointed by the Town Council. The Board of Selectmen or Town Council of each member Town shall be authorized to attend meetings and vote in the place of an absent representative. Representatives shall serve without compensation but may be reimbursed by the Authority for necessary expenses incurred in conducting Authority business. Any representative may be removed with or without cause by a majority vote of the Board of Selectmen or Town Council of the Town which appointed the representative.
Each member municipality shall be entitled to one representative on the Authority and to one alternate, who may vote only in the absence of the regular representative. Representatives and alternates shall serve for three-year terms, except that the initial appointments shall be for one-, two- or three-year terms based on alphabetical assignment of those municipalities comprising the Authority. Thereafter, initial terms for representatives of new municipal members shall rotate among one, two and three years in the order of adoption of the joint ordinance. All initial terms shall be deemed to begin on the day the Authority is created.
The Northeastern Connecticut Regional Resources Recovery Authority shall operate with 100 voting units, which shall be assigned to member municipalities in proportion to each municipality's share of the total population of all members of the Authority as determined by the latest decennial federal census of population. There shall be no fractional votes. Each municipality shall have a minimum of one vote. The distribution of voting units among members shall be recomputed following each decennial federal census and upon the withdrawal or termination of any member municipality or the admission of a new member. Action by the Authority shall require the affirmative action of at least 60% of the total voting units present and voting at a duly called meeting of the Authority at which a quorum is present. The presence, at a meeting, of representatives from a majority of the member municipalities shall be necessary for a quorum.
A member municipality shall not assume any liabilities or responsibilities of the Northeastern Connecticut Regional Resource Recovery Authority or created by the action of said Authority, or be responsible for payment of any expenses of said Authority unless an appropriation for the municipality's proportionate share of such expenses has been approved by the municipality or a contract setting forth such liabilities and responsibilities for expenses has been approved by the municipality.
This article shall take effect when it has been adopted by five or more towns in the Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region.
No municipality may withdraw its membership in the Authority without a vote of its legislative body to withdraw from the Authority and giving at least six months' notice to each of the other participating municipalities and to the Northeastern Connecticut Regional Resource Recovery Authority. Such withdrawal of membership will not in any manner relieve the municipality of liabilities or responsibilities assumed prior to withdrawal, including, without limitation, contracts and agreements to supply municipal solid waste, to pay tipping fees or other charges, and to make landfill space available.
Only the Towns of Putnam and Pomfret shall be allowed to use the Town of Putnam dumping site until a solid waste recovery unit is built. Once the resource recovery unit is operating, any solid waste disposal in Putnam will require Town Meeting approval. The incinerator will not be located in Putnam.
[Adopted 3-26-1987 STM, effective 4-21-1987]
A. 
A Joint Committee of the Northeastern Connecticut Regional Planning Agency and the Northeastern Connecticut Town Administrators' Association has found that a strengthened regional planning organization is needed to assist the 10 towns in the Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region in dealing effectively with regional issues; and
B. 
The Joint Committee of the Northeastern Connecticut Regional Planning Agency and the Northeastern Connecticut Town Administrators' Association has found that a Regional Council of Governments will provide the most effective organization for:
(1) 
Addressing pressing regional issues resulting from increased growth and development;
(2) 
Functioning as an advocate of its member towns on matters relating to the state and federal governments;
(3) 
Coordinating the delivery of shared services to its member towns; and
C. 
The Northeastern Connecticut Regional Planning Agency and the Northeastern Connecticut Town Administrators' Association have recommended that a Regional Council of Governments be formed and that regional planning should be given equal importance with implementation by assuring that equal status is given to the Council's Regional Planning Commission in the preparation of the Council of Governments Annual Work Program and Budget.
The Town of Putnam does hereby adopt Sections 4-124i through 4-124p of the Connecticut General Statutes as amended, providing the formation of a Regional Council of Governments, and does hereby join such Regional Council of Governments when and as such Council is duly established in accordance with said statutes, upon the adoption of said statutes by not less than 60% of all municipalities within the Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region as defined by the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management or his designee and upon certification by the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management or his designee that a Regional Council of Governments has been duly established.
When the Regional Council of Governments is duly established and the transition period called for in Section 4-124-1c of the Connecticut General Statutes as amended has been completed, then the Town does hereby rescind the ordinance adopted by the Town of Putnam and dated April 30, 1962, and any amendments thereto that created the Town's participation in the Northeastern Connecticut Regional Planning Agency.