All the inhabitants dwelling within the territorial limits of
the City of Putnam, as heretofore constituted, shall be residents
of the "Putnam Special Services District," hereinafter called "the
District" and as such may hold and exercise all powers and privileges
consistent with the provisions of this Charter.
The boundaries of the District shall not be extended except
in the following manner: Upon the written petition of a majority of
the qualified voters residing outside of the District, requesting
to be annexed as a part of the District and describing the limits
of said contiguous territory to be annexed, the District Authority
may, after a public hearing, notice of which shall be given at least
five days prior to such hearing by publication in a newspaper having
circulation in the Town, by vote annex the territory described in
such petition to the District. Said vote shall take effect 10 days
after its passage if upon petition of 50 qualified voters of the District
submitted to the Authority within said ten-day period, the effective
date of such vote shall take effect immediately. If said meeting overturns
the vote of the Authority, the vote of the Authority shall not take
effect and shall be null and void. The vote of the District Authority
annexing such territory to said District shall specify the boundaries
of the territory annexed, and a copy of such vote, certified by the
Town Clerk, shall be recorded in the land records of the Town and
filed in the offices of the Assessor and District.
All land and buildings, machinery, equipment and supplies of
the City of Putnam used in conjunction with functions exercised only
within the District, and all current and intangible assets, securities,
debts, and liens of the City of Putnam, as of the effective date of
this Charter are transferred to and are continued in the District.
All machinery, equipment and supplies of the City of Putnam not used
in conjunction with functions exercised only within the District and
all rights of action and rights of every description of the City of
Putnam, except those expressly reserved to the District by this Charter,
as of the effective date of this Charter are transferred to and are
continued in the Town. Any land and buildings of the District used
by the Town shall not be sold by the Town, if abandoned by the Town
for municipal use; they shall revert to the custody and control of
the District. If the District sells any such land and/or buildings,
it shall apportion the proceeds from such sale in a fair and equitable
manner between the original unaltered District and the Town based
on the value of said land and/or buildings as of the effective date
of this Charter and the subsequent capital investment of each party
in the land and/or buildings so disposed of and the resultant proportional
values shall be so equalized as to reflect the passage of time. Nothing
herein shall be construed to affect the right of the District to collect
any assessment, charge, debt, or lien. The District shall reimburse
the Town for all expenses identified by the Town as having been incurred
by the Town on behalf of the District.
The District shall have only those powers specifically granted
by this Charter and all powers fairly implied in or incident to the
powers expressly granted and all other powers incident to the use
of and management of all its assets, and the government and affairs
of the District, including the power to enter into contracts with
the United States, federal agency, the State of Connecticut or any
political subdivision thereof for services and the use of facilities,
the exercise of which is not expressly forbidden by the Constitution
and the general law of the State of Connecticut. The enumeration of
particular powers in this and any other chapter of this Charter shall
not be construed as limiting this general grant of power, but shall
be considered as an addition thereto.
There shall be a Special Services District Authority elected
in accordance with the provisions of Chapter II of this Charter substituting
the word "District" for the word "Town" and the words "District Authority"
for the words "Board of Selectmen" in applying said Chapter to the
District, consisting of five electors. Members of the Authority shall
serve without compensation except for the reimbursement of actual
expenses incurred in the performance of their official duties. No
member of the District Authority shall hold any position of profit
under the government of the District, nor shall the members, during
the term of office for which they are elected, and for two years thereafter,
be appointed to any position of profit under the government of said
District where said position was created during his term of office.
Commencing with the 2019 municipal election, members of the
District Authority shall hold office for a term of two years and shall
take office the first Monday in January following the municipal election.
The District Authority shall meet at 7:00 p.m. on the second
Thursday in January following the municipal election and shall choose
one of its members to be Chairman of the District Authority; such
office shall not deprive the Chairman of the right vote on any question.
The Chairman shall preside over all meetings of the District Authority
and perform such other duties consistent with the office as may be
imposed by the District Authority. The Chairman shall be recognized
as the official head of the District for all ceremonial purposes,
and for purposes of serving civil process. During the Chairman's
absence or disability, those duties shall be performed by a member
chosen by the District Authority, unless otherwise specified herein.
At the first meeting of the District Authority following each
municipal election, the District Authority shall by resolution fix
the time and place of its regular meetings and provide a method for
the calling of special meetings. The District Authority shall by resolution
determine its own rules of procedure. All meetings of the District
Authority for the transaction of business shall be open to the public
and the votes shall be recorded as prescribed by the General Statutes,
as amended. Three members shall constitute a quorum, but no resolution,
or vote, except a vote to adjourn or to fix the time and place of
the next meeting, shall be adopted without a quorum present. The District
Authority shall keep for public inspection a journal of all its proceedings,
including all roll call votes, which shall be the official record
of its proceedings. The journal shall be maintained by the Clerk of
the District Authority. The record shall be authenticated for each
meeting by the signature of the Chairman, Clerk or of both.
The District Authority shall have the powers and duties which,
on the effective date of this Charter, were conferred by law upon
officers, boards, and commissions of said City applicable to the jurisdiction
of the District over its assets, police and fire departments, as herein
defined, existing immediately prior to such date except as otherwise
specifically provided in this Charter. The District Authority shall
have the power to enact, amend, or repeal rules and regulations not
inconsistent with this Charter or the General Statutes, as amended.
The District Authority may contract for services and the use of facilities
of the United States, any federal agency, the State of Connecticut,
or any political subdivision may, by agreement, join with any such
political subdivisions to provide services and facilities. All such
contracts and agreements shall be ratified by a meeting of the District
Authority. The District Authority is authorized, in adopting regulations
to incorporate any nationally recognized code, rules or regulations
that have been published, or any code officially adopted by any administrative
agency of the state or any portion thereof, by reference in such regulation,
provided, upon adoption of any such regulation wherein any such code,
rules, or regulations or portion thereof have been incorporated by
reference, there shall be maintained two copies of such code, rules
or regulations in the office of the District Clerk for examination
by the public. Said District Authority may by resolution adopt rules
governing the internal operation of departments over which it has
jurisdiction, and fix the compensation of the officers and employees
of the District. The District Authority may fix the charges or cause
a tax to be levied for services rendered by the District or for the
execution of powers vested in the District as provided in this Charter.
It shall be the duty of the District Authority to compile preliminary
estimates for the Annual District Budget. The head of each office
or agency of the District supported wholly or in part from District
funds, or for which a specific District appropriation is made, shall,
at least 110 days before the end of the fiscal year, file with the
District Authority on forms provided by it, a detailed estimate of
the expenditures to be made by departments, offices or agencies including
reimbursement to the Town for identifiable expenses incurred by the
Town for the District and the revenue, other than tax revenues, to
be collected in the ensuing fiscal year. Such estimates shall be accompanied
by a statement in narrative or such other form as the District Authority
may prescribe, a program(s) showing services, activities, and work
accomplished during the current fiscal year and those to be accomplished
during the ensuing fiscal year.
The District Authority shall hold one or more public hearings,
not later than 30 days before the Annual District Budget Meeting,
at which any District elector or taxpayer may have an opportunity
to be heard regarding the appropriations for the ensuing fiscal year.
Following the holding of such public hearing(s), the District Authority
shall make such revisions in the budget estimates as they deem desirable
and shall recommend a budget to the Annual Budget Meeting of the District.
Sufficient copies of the proposed budget shall be made available for
general distribution in the offices of the Town and District Clerks
at least five days prior to the Annual Budget Meeting and the District
Authority shall cause to be published in a newspaper having circulation
in the municipality a summary of the District budget showing revenues
by major sources and proposed expenditures by function or office in
the same columnar form as prescribed for Town budget estimates in
this Charter and shall also show the amount to be raised by taxation.
The budget shall become effective when approved by the Annual Budget
Meeting. By a majority of those present and voting at such meeting,
an amount of money less than that recommended may be appropriated.
If not amended, the appropriations recommended by said District Authority
shall be construed as having been appropriated. The annual budget
may be petitioned to a referendum in the manner provided in the General
Statutes, as amended. An official copy of the budget as finally approved
shall be filed with the Town Clerk. Within 10 days after the Annual
Budget Meeting, the District Authority shall by resolution fix the
tax rate in mills, which shall be levied by the Town on the taxable
property in the District for the ensuing fiscal year. For the purposes
of creating a "Reserve Fund for Capital and Non-Recurring Expenditures"
as provided in the General Statutes, as amended, the District Authority
shall be deemed to be the budget-making authority and the District
Meeting shall be deemed to be the legislative body of the District.
A.
The Police Department shall be responsible within the District for
the preservation of the public peace, prevention of crime, apprehension
of criminals, regulation of traffic, lighting of streets, protection
of rights of persons and property and enforcement of the laws of the
state, this Charter, the ordinances of the Town and all regulations
made in accordance therewith. All members of the Department, except
clerical and other personnel without law enforcement responsibilities,
shall have the same 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.
B.
Chief of Police; powers and duties. The District Authority shall
appoint and may remove subject to the provisions of the General Statutes,
as amended, a Chief of Police who shall appoint and may remove with
the approval of the District Authority, and subject to such rules
as may be adopted by the District Authority pursuant to the provisions
of this Charter, all other officers and employees of the Department.
The Chief of Police shall assign all members of the Department to
their respective posts, shifts details, and duties. Consistent with
policies adopted by the Authority, the Chief shall make rules concerning
the operation and conduct of the Department and for the care and custody
of all property used by the Department. Disobedience to the lawful
orders and rules of the Chief shall be grounds for dismissal or other
appropriate disciplinary action.
The Fire Department shall be responsible for the protection
of life and property within the District from fire and for the enforcement
of all laws, ordinances, and regulations relating to fire preventions
and fire safety.
A.
Fire Chief; powers and duties. The District Authority shall appoint
and may remove subject to the provisions of the General Statutes,
as amended, a Fire Chief, who shall appoint and may remove subject
to such rules as may be adopted by the District Authority pursuant
to the provisions of this Charter, all other officers and employees
of the Fire Department. The Fire Chief shall assign all members of
the Department to their respective posts, shifts details, and duties.
Consistent with policies adopted by the Authority, the Chief shall
make rules concerning the operation of the Department and the conduct
of all officers and employees thereof. The Chief 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 and rules of the Chief shall be
grounds for dismissal or other appropriate disciplinary action.
