Except as otherwise provided in this Charter, all executive
powers of the Town shall be vested in the Select Board. It is the
intent of this Charter that the Board shall exercise control over
Town affairs by:
A. Setting and communicating policies to be carried out by the Town
Manager, other officers, and governmental bodies appointed by the
Board.
B. Recommending major courses of action to the Town Meeting.
C. Making recommendations to Town Meeting on all articles except those
that are the responsibility of the Finance Committee, the Community
Preservation Committee or the Planning Board.
D. Acting on the authorization of the Town Meeting, and if no action
is taken, reporting back in a timely manner.
E. The Select
Board shall have all the powers and authority of a Select Board, and
its members and officers shall have all the powers and authority of
members and officers of a Select Board, under any general or special
law of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, any bylaw, rule or regulation
of the Town or any contract or agreement of the Town.
The Select Board shall have the power to make investigations
and may authorize the Town Manager to investigate the affairs of the
Town and the conduct of any Town department, office, or agency, including
any doubtful claims against the Town. For this purpose the investigatory
authority may subpoena witnesses, administer oaths, take testimony
and require the production of evidence. The report of such investigation
shall be placed on file in the office of the Town Clerk, and a report
summarizing such investigation shall be printed in the Annual Town
Report.