There shall be boards of public safety which shall consist of
the Board of Police Commissioners and the Board of Fire Commissioners.
The Director of Traffic Authority shall be the person defined in the
General Statutes.
(a)Â
Division of Police. There shall be a Division of Police consisting
of a Board of Police Commissioners of five (5) members appointed by
the Council for a term of four (4) years, the term of each to expire
in consecutive years. There shall be a Chief of Police and such other
officers and employees of such ranks and grades as the Board of Police
Commissioners may determine, all of whom shall be appointed by the
Board of Police Commissioners. The Division of Police shall be responsible
for the preservation of the public peace, prevention of crime, apprehension
of criminals, regulations of traffic, protection of rights of persons
and property, and enforcement of the laws of the state and the ordinances
of the Town and all rules and regulations made in accordance therewith.
All members of the Division shall have the same powers and duties
with respect to the service of criminal process and enforcement of
criminal laws as are vested in police officers by the General Statutes.
The duties of the Dog Warden as provided in the General Statutes shall
be governed by the Division of Police. The Chief of Police shall be
the executive officer of the Division of Police. He shall assign all
members of the Division to their respective posts, shifts, details
and duties. He shall be responsible for the care and custody of all
property used by the Division and for the efficiency, discipline and
good conduct of its members. He shall make rules for the operation
of the Division and the conduct of police work, subject to the approval
of the Board of Police Commissioners. The violation of these rules
by any member of the Division shall be punishable by appropriate disciplinary
action, to include suspension from duty with or without pay and removal,
provided that no member of the Division shall be suspended by the
Chief for more than ten (10) days without the approval of the Board
of Police Commissioners, and no suspension for more than thirty (30)
days or removal shall be made except in accordance with the provisions
of this Charter.
(b)Â
Division of Fire. There shall be a Board of Fire Commissioners consisting
of five (5) members appointed by the Council for a term of not more
than four (4) years, the term of each to expire in consecutive years.
There shall be a Fire Chief and such other officers and employees
of such ranks and grades as the Board of Fire Commissioners may determine,
all of whom shall be appointed by the Board of Fire Commissioners.
It is also the intent of this Charter that fire protection shall continue
to be provided by the volunteer companies heretofore established in
the organization and conduct of which no change is contemplated. The
Fire Chief shall direct the operation of the fire companies at fires,
institute and conduct suitable training programs for firemen in cooperation
with company officers, and perform such other duties as may be prescribed
by ordinance or the orders of the Fire Commission. There shall be
a Fire Marshal, who shall have all the powers and duties of fire marshals
in towns as provided in the General Statutes. All paid members of
the Fire Department shall be appointed by the Board of Fire Commissioners.
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(11-3-1970; 11-7-1972; 11-7-2006)
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The Tax Collector shall be appointed by the Manager for an indefinite
term in accordance with Chapter VIII of this Charter, and shall respectively
have all the powers and duties conferred upon tax collectors by the
statutes and such other duties as may be assigned by the Council or
by the Manager.
(11-7-1972; 11-8-1994)
(Repealed 11-8-1994)
There shall be a Department of Public Works headed by a Director
of Public Works. The Manager shall be the Director until the Council
shall determine otherwise. When the Council shall determine that someone
other than the Manager shall be the Director of Public Works, he shall
be appointed by the Manager in accordance with the provisions of Chapter
VIII of this Charter. Within the Department of Public Works there
shall be a Highway Division, headed by the Superintendent of Highways;
an Engineering Division, headed by the Town Engineer; a Sewer Department,
headed by the Superintendent of the Sewer Department, and such other
employees in each division as the Council may determine. The Department
of Public Works shall have supervision and control of the maintenance
of all Town-owned structures except such structures as are under the
control of the Board of Education, and of the planning, surveying,
constructing and reconstructing, altering, paving, repairing, maintaining,
cleaning, lighting, and inspecting of highways, sidewalks and curbs,
sewers, sewage disposal, public and private drains, and other public
improvements, Town buildings, and the preservation, care and removal
of trees within highways or public places, all engineering work of
the Town, and garbage, rubbish and ash collection and disposal. The
Department shall have all the powers and perform all the duties imposed
on tree wardens by the General Statutes, and shall have such other
powers and duties as the Council may prescribe. Any provision of this
section to the contrary notwithstanding, the Department of Public
Works may maintain and care for school buildings and grounds, but
only if and to the extent and for the period requested by the Board
of Education and approved by the Council, provided the costs are charged
against the Board of Education's appropriations.
(11-2-1971; 11-7-1972; 11-8-1994)
There shall be a Department of Welfare consisting of the director
of welfare and such other employees as the Council may determine.
The Department of Welfare shall administer all forms of relief and
other welfare activities. The Director of Welfare shall supervise
the Department and shall have such powers and duties as the Council
may prescribe and as are vested by law in the boards of selectmen
of towns relative to poor, handicapped and dependent persons. The
Manager shall be the Director of Public Welfare until the Council
shall determine otherwise. When the Council shall determine that someone
other than the Manager shall be the Director of Welfare, he shall
be appointed and may be removed by the Manager in accordance with
the provisions of Chapter VIII of this Charter. Subject to the approval
of the Manager, the Director of Welfare shall have power to make all
rules and regulations relating to the administration of the Department
not inconsistent with the General Statutes and ordinances of the Town
and shall appoint and may remove the employees of the Department in
accordance with the provisions of Chapter VIII of this Charter.
(11-8-1994)
There shall be a Department of Public Health which shall be
responsible for the preservation and promotion of the public health
and shall perform such functions and have powers and duties as are
prescribed by the Council and imposed by law on directors of public
health. The Manager, subject to the provisions of the General Statutes,
shall appoint a Director of Public Health who shall be the administrative
head of the Public Health Department. The Director of Public Health
shall have the duty to enforce the laws, ordinances and regulations
concerning public health. He shall receive such compensation and shall
have such assistants and employees, appointed by him with the approval
of the Manager and in accordance with the provisions of Chapter VIII
of this Charter, as the Council may determine.
There shall be a full-time Town Planner appointed by the Manager
for an indefinite term in accordance with Chapter VIII of this Charter.
He shall have such powers and duties as may be determined by ordinance
of the Council.
There shall continue to be a Housing Authority consisting of
five (5) members, which shall have all the powers and duties vested
in it on the effective date of this Charter, or as may hereafter be
conferred on it by the General Statutes or by ordinance of the Council.
The members of the board on the effective date of this Charter shall
continue in office for the unexpired portion of their term. Their
successors shall be appointed by the Manager for terms of five (5)
years. Vacancies shall be filled by the Manager for the unexpired
term in accordance with the General Statutes.
[Added 11-8-2022]
(a)Â
General
provisions.
(1)Â
Established.
A public library is hereby established to be maintained under proper
regulations of the Directors and shall be free to all of the inhabitants
of the Town.
(b)Â
Board
of Directors.
(1)Â
Composition
The Board of Directors of the Public Library of the Town shall consist
of nine members, to be appointed by the Town Council.
(2)Â
Powers
and purpose The Board of Directors of the Public Library shall have the
responsibility of establishing and implementing all policies regarding
the approval and/or creation of activities and programs for patrons
including the Barnes Museum. This includes all policies regarding
materials, usage, circulation, and programs. The Board shall have
exclusive control of any funding that it receives from outside of
Town of Southington general operating appropriations, with the exception
of grants which require the Town of Southington to apply for and administer.
(c)Â
Management.
(1)Â
Financial
management. The Library Director or other person directed by the Library
Board shall prepare a proposed budget and submit it to the Library
Board for review. After review and acceptance by the Library Board,
the Board Chair will submit the proposed budget to the Town Manager's
Office pursuant to Section 722 of the Southington Town Charter. The
operational budget of the Library shall he provided for by the Town
Council and implemented by the Town Manager.
(2)Â
Personnel
management. The Town Manager may appoint and employ a Library Director
who shall be responsible for overseeing the daily operation of the
Library and Barnes Museum. The Library Board Chairperson shall be
included as a representative on and hiring panel for a Library Director.
Said appointment shall report directly to the Town Manager except
as set forth in Subsection (b)(2) above. The Town Manager will oversee
library finances, building operations, opening hours, staffing management,
and collective bargaining of all library operations including the
Barnes Museum.
