The Board of Selectmen shall consist of the First Selectman
and two (2) other Selectmen, who shall be elected as this Charter
provides.
Except as otherwise specifically provided for in this Charter,
the Board of Selectmen shall have the powers and duties conferred
by the Constitution and CT General Statutes of the State of Connecticut
upon the Board of Selectmen. The legislative authority shall be vested
in the Board of Selectmen except as otherwise specifically provided
in this Charter and shall include but not be limited by the various
provisions set forth in this Charter.
The newly elected Board of Selectmen shall meet on the first
Monday in December following its election. The meeting shall be called
to order by the Town Clerk, who shall administer the oath of office
to all members. In the absence of the Town Clerk, the meeting may
be called to order and the oath administered by any elector of Brookfield
authorized by law to administer oaths. The newly elected First Selectman
shall then assume the chair as permanent presiding officer of the
Board. The Board shall, by a majority vote of the total membership,
designate a Chairman Pro Tempore from among the members of the Board
to preside in the absence of the Chairman. The Board shall adopt its
own rules of procedure except as specifically provided in this Charter.
The Board of Selectmen shall fix the date, time and place of
its regular meetings and provide a method for calling special meetings.
Only business, notice of which has been included in the call for such
special meetings, shall be acted upon at any special meeting. Two
(2) members of the Board of Selectmen shall constitute a quorum for
the transaction of business. The Board of Selectmen shall act by majority
vote of those present and voting unless the CT General Statutes or
this Charter requires a greater vote. Minutes of each meeting shall
be taken and shall include the attendance of each member and the vote
of each member on all items of business before the meeting. The Board
shall keep for public inspection an official record of the meetings,
a copy of which shall be filed in the office of the Town Clerk within
two (2) business days with respect to each member's recorded
vote and seven (7) business days with respect to the filing of minutes.
The official record shall also contain the rules of procedure of the
Board.
If the Board of Selectmen shall find that an emergency exists
in the Town affecting the public peace, health or safety, it shall
be empowered to adopt regulations and ordinances stating the facts
constituting the public emergency, which shall become effective immediately
upon the affirmative vote of not fewer than two (2) members of the
Board without public hearing or notice thereof; such ordinances shall
be promulgated forthwith. Every such emergency regulation or ordinance
shall be repealed upon the termination of the emergency and shall
automatically stand repealed at the termination of the 61st day following
adoption thereof; provided, however, that if action has been initiated
on the same subject matter as an emergency ordinance providing for
a permanent ordinance under § C4-5 of this Charter prior
to such 61st day, then such emergency ordinance shall remain in full
force and effect until final action is taken on said permanent ordinance.
All ordinances, resolutions and other actions taken by vote
of the Board of Selectmen, except those making appointments or removals
or regulating exclusively its internal procedures and except emergency
ordinances adopted in accordance with the provisions of § C4-6
of this Charter, shall be subject to overrule by a Special Town Meeting
as follows:
A. If within twenty (20) days after publication of any such ordinance
or after the filing of the minutes of the meeting of the Board of
Selectmen with the Town Clerk in accordance with the provisions of
§ C4-4 of this Charter, which filing shall constitute publication
of any resolution or other action set forth in said minutes, a petition
conforming to and circulated in accordance with the requirements of
Sections 7-9 and 7-9a of the CT General Statutes and signed by not
fewer than two percent (2.0%) of the Town electors as determined from
the latest official list of registered electors is filed with the
Town Clerk requesting a Special Town Meeting, the effective date of
such ordinance, resolution or other action shall be suspended.
B. The Board of Selectmen shall fix a date, time and place of such Special
Town Meeting, which shall be held within twenty-eight (28) days of
the filing of the petition, and notice thereof shall be given in the
manner provided by law for the calling of a Special Town Meeting.
C. The ordinance, resolution or other action of the Board of Selectmen
so referred shall take effect upon the conclusion of the meeting unless
at least one percent (1.0%) of the Town electors, as determined from
the latest official list of registered electors, constituting a majority
of those voting thereon, shall have voted in favor of overruling.
All ordinances, resolutions or other action taken by vote of
the Board of Selectmen, except those making appointments or removals
or regulating exclusively its internal procedures and except emergency
ordinances adopted in accordance with the provisions of § C4-6
of this Charter, shall be subject to overrule by a referendum as follows:
A. If within twenty (20) days after publication of any such ordinance
or after the filing of the minutes of the meeting of the Board of
Selectmen with the Town Clerk in accordance with the provisions of
§ C4-4 of this Charter, which filing shall constitute publication
of any resolution or other action set forth in said minutes, a petition
conforming to and circulated in accordance with the requirements of
Sections 7-9 and 7-9a of the CT General Statutes and signed by not
fewer than three percent (3.0%) of the Town electors as determined
from the latest official list of registered electors is filed with
the Town Clerk requesting the referendum, the effective date of such
ordinance, resolution or other action shall be suspended.
B. The Board of Selectmen shall fix a date, time and place for such
referendum, which shall be held within twenty-eight (28) days of the
filing of the petition, and notice thereof shall be given in the manner
provided by law for scheduling the referendum.
C. The ordinance, resolution or other action of the Board of Selectmen
shall be null and void in the event that a majority of the electors
acting thereon, such majority consisting of at least one and one-half
percent (1.5%) of the Town electors, shall vote to overrule the action
of the Board of Selectmen. Otherwise, such ordinance, resolution or
other action shall take effect immediately following the referendum.
Compensation for the members of the Board of Selectmen (other
than the First Selectman) shall be set at the Annual Town Meeting
or Town referendum but shall not be less per person than five percent
(5%) of the First Selectman's compensation.