A. 
The Town Manager shall draft classification plans, salary plans, employee benefit plans and policies, provisions and conditions of employment, and present them to the next Town Meeting for approval. Only with approval of the Town Meeting may these plans, policies, etc. be implemented or altered. Once such plans, policies, provisions and conditions of employment are approved, the Town Manager may establish procedures and regulations consistent with said plans, policies, etc., as he deems necessary for the administration thereof. The Town Manager may appoint a Personnel Advisory Board to assist in carrying out the provisions of this section.
B. 
The Town Manager shall maintain personnel records of all employees, including therein such information as he deems desirable, said records to be kept by the Town Accountant on behalf of the Town Manager. Department heads shall furnish such information as shall be requested for this purpose.
C. 
From time to time the Town Manager shall review the work of all positions subject to the Classification Plan. Such reviews shall be scheduled so as to cover all such positions at intervals of not more than three years. If necessary, the Town Manager may tentatively add a new position to a different group, subject to the subsequent ratification of his action by a formal amendment of the Classification Plan at the next Town Meeting.
D. 
The Town Manager shall from time to time review the Salary Plan. He shall keep informed as to pay rates and policies outside the service of the Town, and shall recommend to the Town any action he deems desirable to maintain a fair and equitable pay level.
E. 
Upon recommendation of a department head, supported by evidence in writing of special reasons and exceptional circumstances satisfactory to the Town Manager, the Town Manager may authorize an entrance rate higher than the minimum rate for a position, and such other variance in the Salary Plan as he may deem necessary for the proper functioning of the services of the Town.
The positions of all officers and employees in the service of the Town (whether full-time, part-time, special, civil service or other), other than those positions filled by popular election and those under the direction and control of the School Committee, shall be classified by titles in groups listed in a schedule entitled "Job Classification by Groups."
Whenever a new position is established or the duties of an existing position are so changed that in effect a new position is created, upon presentation of substantiating data satisfactory to the Town Manager, he shall allocate such new or changed position to its appropriate group.
No person shall be appointed, employed or paid as a employee in any position subject to the provisions of the Classification Plan under any title other than those of the Classification Plan, or under any title other than that of the job the duties of which are actually performed. The job title in the plan shall be the official title for all purposes having to do with the position and shall be used to designate the position in all payrolls, budget estimates and official reports, and in every other connection involving personnel and fiscal processes.
No employee may be reclassified to a job in another group, either higher or lower, until the Town Manager shall have determined such a classification will be consistent with the Classification and Salary Plans. There shall be only one reclassification in any twelve-month period for any employee, except in unusual circumstances.
The Town Manager shall maintain written job descriptions of the jobs and positions in the Classification Plan, describing the essential characteristics, requirements and general duties of the job. The description shall not be interpreted as complete or limiting definitions of any job, and employees shall continue in the future as in the past to perform any duties assigned by department heads, supervisors, or other administrative authority.
Any proposals of change in the Salary Plan as defined in this section brought before the voters at an Annual or Special Town Meeting shall be placed on the warrant for such meeting so as to precede any and all articles dealing with or including monies for salaries, wages or other payments or benefits for services rendered by Town employees.
A. 
A Salary Plan is to be established by vote of the Town in Town Meeting to provide minimum and maximum salaries, or single-rate salaries for the groups and positions in the Classification Plan. The salary range or rate of a group shall be the salary range or rate for all positions classified in the group.
B. 
The office of the Town Accountant shall not prepare, process or provide forms or information which would in any way authorize or permit the payment of salary or wages to any new employee of the Town without the prior certification of the Town Manager that the proposed rate of pay complies with those pertinent requirements set forth elsewhere in this bylaw and with such other requirements as may be established by vote of the Town Meeting.
C. 
The office of Town Accountant shall not process or permit payment of salary or wages for any employee of the Town whose rate of pay exceeds that established and approved by the Annual Town Meeting and set forth in the Salary Administration Plan. The Town Manager shall be notified when such violations occur.
The Classification and Salary Plans or other plans, policies, provisions and conditions of employment drafted by the Town Manager and subsequently approved by Town Meeting may be amended by vote of the Town at a regular or special Town Meeting. No amendment of any such plans, policies, etc. shall be made until it has been presented by signed petition to the Town Manager and acted upon by the Town Manager. Upon receipt of such a petition, the Town Manager, after giving petitioners, heads of the departments, and employees affected at least three days' written notice, shall hold a hearing of the parties interested to consider the proposed amendment. If the Town Manager shall fail to act on an amendment as presented within 15 days, the Town Manager shall be deemed to have disapproved the amendment. The petition may then be presented to the Town Meeting if so desired.
Nothing in this bylaw, or in the Salary Plan, shall be construed to conflict with Chapter 31 of the General Laws.