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.
A. 
Except as otherwise specifically provided in this Charter, no ordinance shall be acted upon until at least one (1) public hearing on such ordinance shall have been held by the Selectmen. Notice of such public hearing, stating the general subject matter, date, time and place of the hearing and stating that copies of the proposed ordinance are on file with the Town Clerk, shall be given at least seven (7) calendar days in advance by publication in a newspaper having a general circulation in the Town and by posting a notice in a public place. Copies of such proposed ordinance shall be made available for public inspection at the Town Clerk's office at least seven (7) calendar days in advance of the public hearing. If substantive changes, as determined by the Town Attorney, are made in any such proposed ordinance subsequent to the public hearing required under the provisions of this section, then a second public hearing shall be held on such proposed ordinance prior to final action. Every ordinance, after passage, shall be filed with the Town Clerk and recorded, compiled and published by said Clerk as required by law.
B. 
Within ten (10) days after final passage, each ordinance so passed shall be published once in its entirety, or in summary form as provided by Section 7-157(b) of the CT General Statutes, in a newspaper having a general circulation within the Town. Each ordinance, unless it shall specify a later date, shall become effective on the 21st day after such publication following its passage unless procedure to overrule such ordinance is initiated in accordance with this Charter.
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.
A. 
The electors or voters shall have the power to propose to the Board of Selectmen any ordinance, except an ordinance appointing or removing officials, specifying the compensation or hours of work of officials and employees, adopting the annual budget, appropriating funds, authorizing the levy of taxes or fixing the tax rate.
B. 
The ordinance shall be proposed by a petition to the Board of Selectmen, in accordance with and subject to the provisions of the CT General Statutes, setting forth the proposed ordinance and requesting its adoption, which petition shall be signed by not fewer than three percent (3.0%) of the registered Town electors. The petition shall be filed with the Town Clerk, who shall, within ten (10) days, determine whether or not the petition contains the required number of valid signatures and, if it does, shall so certify to the Board of Selectmen at its next regular meeting.
C. 
The Board of Selectmen shall, within sixty (60) days after certification, either adopt the proposed ordinance after a public hearing or submit the same to the voters at a Special Town Meeting or a referendum or Town election to be held on a date, time and place to be determined by the Board of Selectmen within ninety (90) days from the date of the Town Clerk's certification, provided that if a general election or a Town election is to occur within four (4) months of such certification, the ordinance may be submitted at such election. The ordinance shall be adopted if a majority of those voting vote in the affirmative, such majority consisting of at least five percent (5.0%) of the registered Town electors. No ordinance that shall have been adopted with the provisions of this section shall be repealed or amended except by vote of the qualified electors.
D. 
Any such proposed ordinance shall be examined by the Town Attorney before being submitted to the Town Meeting or referendum. The Town Attorney shall be authorized to correct the form of such ordinance for the purpose of avoiding repetitions, illegalities and unconstitutional provisions, assuring accuracy in the text and references and clarifying and making more precise the phraseology but shall not change its meaning and effect.
A. 
Any ordinance adopted by the Board of Selectmen pursuant to § C4-5 of this Charter may be repealed by the vote of majority of the entire Board of Selectmen. Any ordinance adopted by a vote at a Town Meeting may be repealed only by vote of a majority of those present and voting at a Town Meeting called for that purpose. Any ordinance adopted by a referendum vote may be repealed only by majority vote of those voting at a referendum held for that purpose, provided that such majority shall consist of at least five percent (5.0%) of the qualified voters of the Town on the date of such referendum.
B. 
The First Selectman shall, at least biennially, review all ordinances and, upon a majority vote of the Board of Selectmen and after a public hearing, may repeal any such ordinance the Board of Selectmen deems to be obsolete or inappropriate or submit the same to a Town Meeting or referendum for repeal as required.
A. 
Investigations. The Board of Selectmen shall have the power to investigate any and all agencies, boards, commissions, departments and offices and for such purposes shall have the power to call witnesses before the Board of Selectmen to testify as to any matter under investigation. Any officer or employee of the Town who upon receipt of adequate notice fails to appear or refuses to testify when so called by the Board of Selectmen shall be deemed to have resigned thereby from said office or position.
B. 
Removals and suspensions.
(1) 
The Board of Selectmen shall have the power to suspend by an affirmative vote of two (2) members and to remove for good cause by an affirmative vote of all members any person appointed to any office or position by the Board.
(2) 
The Board shall act first by suspending such person and shall promptly serve such person with a copy of the resolution of suspension together with the reasons therefor. If within ten (10) days after service of said resolution such person shall file a request, in writing, with the Town Clerk for a public hearing before the Board, the hearing requested shall be held, at a time and place set by the Board, not less than five (5) days nor more than fifteen (15) days after the filing of the request. At such hearing the person may be represented by counsel. If no hearing is requested, or at the conclusion of the hearing, the Board shall promptly by resolution terminate the suspension and either restore the person to or remove such person from office or employment. During the period of suspension, any such person shall be ineligible to perform the duties of the office or employment. Compensation, if any, shall be continued during the period of suspension or for thirty (30) days from the date of suspension, whichever is longer.
A. 
The Board of Selectmen shall appoint all appointive officers and shall fill by appointment all vacancies on appointed or elective boards, commissions, agencies and offices, except as otherwise specifically provided in §§ C2-6 and C7-4 of this Charter.
B. 
In exercising the power herein conferred to fill vacancies with respect to elective offices or membership upon elective boards or commissions, the Board of Selectmen shall make an interim appointment for the unexpired portion of the term or until the next biennial Town election, whichever shall be sooner, provided that when the persons vacating the office shall have been elected as a member of a political party, such vacancy shall be filled by the appointment of a member of the same political party.
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.