[Adopted as Arts. 4, 8, 9 and 10 of the 1981 Bylaws]
A. 
The Select Board shall consist of three members elected by ballot at the Annual Town Election for a term of three years. One member shall be elected in each year.
B. 
The Select Board shall have the general direction and management of the property and affairs of the Town in all matters not otherwise provided for by law or by these bylaws.
C. 
The Select Board may appear, either personally or by the Town Counsel or by special counsel duly employed by them, before any court, committee of the Legislature or any state or county board or commission or other tribunal to protect the interests of the Town.
D. 
All conveyances of land or interests in land which may hereafter be authorized by vote of the Town or otherwise, except land held under tax titles, shall be signed by a majority of the Select Board, unless otherwise provided by law or these bylaws or by special vote of the Town, and the same shall be sealed with the Town Seal.
E. 
The Select Board shall specify the date when the warrant for any Town Meeting shall close and shall set the date for any Special Town Meeting or Special Town Election.
F. 
The Select Board shall annually cause to have printed an annual report of the Town. Reports of all boards, commissions, committees or officers which are to be published in the Annual Town Report shall be delivered to the Select Board as soon after the first day of January as possible, but not later than January 30 unless the Select Board shall fix another date therefor.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Original § 4.7, which immediately followed this subsection, was repealed 4-29-2013 ATM, approved 10-9-2013.
G. 
The Select Board shall have the following appointment powers:
(1) 
The Select Board shall annually, and whenever a vacancy shall exist, choose some competent lawyer to act as Town Counsel. He shall be paid such compensation as the Select Board may determine and they may remove him at pleasure. The Town Counsel shall provide such legal services concerning the affairs of the Town as may be required of him by any Town officer, board, committee or commission.
[Amended 4-26-2004 ATM, approved 8-19-2004]
(2) 
As provided in Chapter 376 of the Acts of 2010, there shall be a Police Chief appointed by the Select Board who shall have and exercise all the powers and discharge all the duties conferred by law generally upon police chiefs. The Chief shall appoint such police officers as the Chief deems necessary, and may remove the same at any time for cause after a hearing. The Chief shall have full and absolute authority in the administration of the Police Department, including the appointment and removal of special and auxiliary police officers and other personnel, shall make all rules and regulations for the Department’s operation, shall report to the Select Board from time to time as the Board may require, and shall annually report to the Town the condition of the Department with the Chief's recommendations thereon. The Chief shall fix the compensation of all members of the Department, subject to the approval of the Select Board. The Chief shall be in immediate control of all Town property used by the Department, and of the police officers, whom the Chief shall assign to their respective duties and who shall obey the Chief's orders.
[Amended 4-29-2013 ATM, approved 10-9-2013]
(3) 
The Select Board shall appoint a permanent Fire Chief who shall be in charge of the Fire Department.
(4) 
The Select Board may appoint a Town Administrator for a term of one or three years and may remove the Town Administrator so appointed at its discretion. The Town Administrator shall be sworn to the faithful performance of his or her duties. During the time that he or she holds office the Town Administrator shall hold no elective Town office but may be appointed by the Select Board or, with its approval, by any other Town officer, board, committee or commission to any other Town office or position consistent with the office. The Town Administrator shall receive such aggregate compensation, not exceeding the amount appropriated therefor, as the Select Board may determine. The Town Administrator shall act by and for the Select Board in any matter which they may assign to him or her relating to the administration of the affairs of the Town or of any Town office or department under its supervision and control and, with the approval of the Select Board, may perform such other duties as may be requested of him or her by any other Town officer, board, committee or commission.
[Added 6-7-1993 ATM, approved 8-20-1993]
(5) 
The Select Board may appoint and prescribe the duties of a Director of Public Works who shall be especially fitted by education, training, and experience to perform the duties of said office. Such Director shall not be subject to the provisions of MGL c. 31. The term of office of the Director shall be determined by the Select Board and said Director shall serve at the pleasure of the Select Board.
[Added 4-28-2003 ATM, approved 10-16-2003]
(6) 
The Select Board shall appoint such other officers and the members of such other boards, committees, commissions or other bodies of the Town as may be required by law, these bylaws or vote of the Town. It may establish and appoint or provide for the appointment of the members of any board, committee or commission for which other provision is not made and which, in its judgment, is required to assist the Select Board or the Town on any matters subject to the Select Board's jurisdiction.
H. 
Except as otherwise provided by law or these bylaws, the Select Board shall have the power to issue all licenses and permits required by law or these bylaws and to establish reasonable fees therefor. The Select Board may from time to time adopt rules, regulations and restrictions relative to the business of persons licensed by them under the General Laws or these bylaws and to the supervision thereof, including the imposition of lawful penalties for violations of such rules, regulations and restrictions. The rules, regulations and restrictions adopted by the Select Board shall be provided in writing to all applicants for such licenses.[2]
[Amended 4-28-1986 ATM, approved 7-23-1986]
[2]
Editor's Note: Original §§ 4.9.1 to 4.9.6, which were included in this subsection, have been moved and included as § 60-900, Business licenses issued by Select Board.
I. 
Upon the certification of any department head that such department has within its control tangible personal property of the Town which has become obsolete or is no longer of practical value to the Town, the Select Board shall authorize the sale thereof. The terms of the sale shall be fixed by the Select Board, provided that where the fair value of such property exceeds the sum of $500, it will only be sold to the highest responsible bidder after competitive bids have been invited by published notice.
J. 
The Select Board shall act as the Town's Board of Park Commissioners.
K. 
[3]The Select Board shall act as the Board of Survey pursuant to Chapter 141 of the Acts of 1903.
[3]
Editor's Note: Former Subsection K, designating the Select Board to act as the Municipal Light Board, was repealed 5-3-2021 ATM, approved 2-4-2022]
L. 
The Select Board shall promulgate regulations establishing addressing standards and governing the numbering of properties. All properties, buildings and structures are required to have a valid address.
[Added 4-25-2011 ATM, approved 6-22-2011]
(1) 
The regulations promulgated by the Select Board shall designate a Town official(s) as the sole authority to assign and modify addresses for all taxable and nontaxable properties.
(2) 
The Town will maintain an up-to-date Master Address Table using the addresses assigned by the Select Board's designated Town official(s) and parcel identification numbers for all taxable and nontaxable properties. No one may publicly use or list an address for a property, building, or structure located within the Town of Belmont, for any purpose, unless that address is included in the Master Address Table.[4]
[4]
Editor's Note: Original § 4.14, which immediately followed this subsection and provided for the appointment of a sealer and the fees of the sealer, added 11-17-2003 STM and approved 1-20-2004, was repealed 5-29-2013 STM, approved 10-8-2013.
(Reserved)
(Reserved)
[Amended 4-28-2003 ATM, approved 10-16-2003]
A. 
The Board of Cemetery Commissioners shall consist of three members elected by ballot at the Annual Town Election for a term of three years. One member shall be elected in each year. No sooner than five years from the date of passage of that certain special act entitled "Home Rule Petition for Belmont, An Act To Reorganize the Public Works Functions in the Town of Belmont," the Select Board may request Town Meeting to convert the Board of Cemetery Commissioners to an appointive body. Upon a two-thirds vote of Town Meeting, the Select Board shall establish and appoint a three-member Board of Cemetery Commissioners, consisting of the incumbent elected members for the duration of their term. Should an incumbent member choose not to serve in an appointive capacity, the Select Board shall appoint a new Commissioner to fill the remainder of that term. Upon the expiration of the initial terms of appointment, the Select Board shall appoint Commissioners in a manner consistent with Article 1 of this chapter.
B. 
The Board of Cemetery Commissioners shall have the following duties and responsibilities:
(1) 
To educate the Select Board, Town administration and the citizens of Belmont regarding the need for burial space and cemetery services;
(2) 
To advocate on behalf of the citizens of Belmont for burial space and cemetery services, including expansion, maintenance, and beautification of existing facilities;
(3) 
To establish policies and regulations relating to the cemetery, including but not limited to the terms and conditions of burial rights, the prices for sale of lots and graves and other services and the erection of monuments and ornamentation;
(4) 
To identify and advocate for major capital and facility improvements, including expansion, to meet the long-term needs of the cemetery system and to work cooperatively with the Town's staff to develop an appropriate financing plan for such improvements;
(5) 
To develop an appropriate marketing strategy to sell cemetery lots as required to meet financial requirements of cemetery needs;
(6) 
To certify and recommend for Town Meeting appropriation the amount and use of proceeds from the sale of cemetery lots paid into the Town treasury for reimbursement to the Town for the cost of the land, its care, improvement and embellishment, or the enlargement of the cemetery;
(7) 
To report annually, in cooperation with the Director of Public Works and the Town Treasurer, on the status of the Perpetual Care Fund and on progress in implementing the capital improvement plan. In cooperation with the Town Accountant, to certify and recommend for Town Meeting appropriation the amount of perpetual care interest income to offset the cost of routine cemetery maintenance; and
(8) 
To assume jurisdiction and representation of applicable provisions of that certain Memorandum of Agreement dated November 22, 1999, relating to the use of land in Belmont formerly owned by McLean Hospital, including, without limitation, Attachment B2 - Conservation Restriction, Attachment E - Land Use and Management Plan, and Attachment K - Cemetery Agreement.
A. 
The Board of Health shall consist of three members elected by ballot at the Annual Town Election for a term of three years. One member shall be elected in each year.
B. 
The Board shall make and publish from time to time such regulations as it deems necessary for the public health and safety and shall cause the same to be printed in suitable form for public distribution.
C. 
The Board shall have charge of all appropriations made by the Town for health and sanitary purposes which are not especially entrusted to any other department.
D. 
The Board shall annually make a report to be printed in the Annual Town Report showing in detail the statistics of the health and sanitary condition of the Town with recommendations for its improvement, together with a full and comprehensive statement of its work and that of its appointees during the previous year. The report shall also contain a detailed statement of the amounts expended by the Board during the year.
E. 
The noncriminal disposition of violations of any Town bylaw within the jurisdiction of the Board of Health, or any rule or regulation of the Board of Health, is hereby authorized in accordance with the provisions of MGL c. 40, § 21D ("§ 21D").
[Added 4-23-1990 ATM, approved 8-13-1990]
(1) 
"Enforcing person" as used in this Subsection E shall mean any police officer of the Town, the Health Director, any member of the Board of Health and any other Town employee designated by the Board of Health as an enforcing person.
(2) 
An enforcing person taking cognizance of a violation of any bylaw, rule or regulation hereunder may, as an alternative to instituting criminal proceedings, give the offender written notice to appear before the Clerk of the District Court having jurisdiction thereof for the noncriminal disposition thereof in accordance with § 21D. The provisions of § 21D are incorporated herein by this reference.
A. 
The Board of Trustees of the Public Library shall consist of six members elected by ballot at the Annual Town Election for a term of three years. Two members shall be elected in each year.
B. 
The Trustees shall have the sole care and management of the public library and any branch or branches thereof which the Town may establish and the custody of the books and other property thereof and may adopt regulations for governing the libraries and their use.
C. 
The Trustees shall appoint a Librarian and such other employees as they deem expedient, determine their duties and remove them at pleasure.
D. 
The Trustees shall have charge of all appropriations made by the Town for library purposes and shall expend the same for the purchase of such books and materials as they shall select and in the maintenance, support and promotion of the libraries and their facilities.
E. 
The Trustees shall annually make a report to be printed in the Annual Town Report showing in detail their work and that of their appointees and the condition of the libraries.