Except as otherwise provided herein, all members of boards,
commissions and similar bodies shall be electors of the Town and shall
have such qualifications as may be prescribed by the Board of Selectmen
or by the General Statutes. Except as otherwise provided herein, if
any such officer or member shall cease to be an elector of the Town,
such person shall thereupon cease to hold such office or membership.
Any vacancy in any appointive board, commission or similar body,
from whatever cause arising, shall be filled by the Board of Selectmen.
Persons appointed to fill such vacancies shall serve for the unexpired
portion of the term vacated.
There shall continue to be a Planning and Zoning Commission,
an Economic and Industrial Development Commission, a Housing Authority,
a Redevelopment Agency, which Agency shall cease to exist no later
than the date of the municipal election in November, 2001, a Housing
Code Review Board, a Committee on the Needs of the Aging, and there
shall be established a Conservation Commission in accordance with
Section 705 of this Charter. Except as otherwise specifically provided
in this Charter, the composition, members and alternates, terms of
office, powers and duties and all other incidents of said existing
and future boards, commissions and other similar bodies shall be determined
by Special Acts applicable to the Town and ordinances and, where appropriate,
resolutions of the Town, as the same may be amended from time to time.
The first of January, following the adoption of this Charter,
there shall be formed a Conservation Commission consisting of five
members and two alternates, not more than three of whom shall be of
the same political party. Three members and one alternate shall be
appointed for two-year terms starting January 1, 1981, and two members
and one alternate shall be appointed for four-year terms starting
January 1, 1981. Appointments for terms starting January 1, 1983 and
every two years thereafter shall be for four-year terms.
The Conservation Commission shall devote its efforts to ensuring
the sound development, conservation, supervision and regulation of
natural resources of the Town and shall have such powers and duties
as prescribed by the General Statutes.
The Town shall continue to participate in such regional and
interlocal agencies and programs as authorized by ordinances adopted
pursuant to the applicable provisions of the General Statutes. Nothing
in this Charter shall be construed as limiting the authority of the
Town to continue such participation or join new regional programs
as authorized by the General Statutes.
No permanent appointive board, commission or similar body shall
be abolished except upon the affirmative vote of a Town Meeting. Such
dissolution shall not become effective until 30 days after such action.
There shall be such additional appointive boards, commissions
or similar bodies as the legislative body of the Town may by ordinance
or resolution, as appropriate, from time to time determine.
Two alternate members, not more than one of whom shall be of
the same political party, shall be appointed by the Board of Finance
to hold office for a period of six years. Such alternate members shall
have all the powers and duties vested in a member of the Board of
Finance and shall be electors and taxpayers of the Town. If a regular
member is absent or disqualified, such member shall designate an alternate
to act in his stead. In the event a regular member shall fail or refuse
to designate an alternate to so act, the majority of the regular members
of the Board of Finance not absent and not disqualified may designate
an alternate from the same political party as the regular member to
act for such absent or disqualified member.