There shall be a Board of Selectmen consisting of a First Selectman
and two additional Selectmen, hereinafter referred to as the Selectmen,
who shall be compensated in such manner and amount as set by vote
of the Annual Budget Meeting, upon recommendation of the Board of
Finance.
The candidate receiving the largest number of votes for First
Selectman at the General Town Election shall be declared elected to
the office of First Selectman. The two candidates receiving the next
highest number of votes at the General Town Election shall be declared
elected to the Board of Selectmen.
The newly elected Board of Selectmen shall hold a first organizational meeting within 10 days after taking office. At this meeting the Board of Selectmen, in accordance with the General Statutes and this Charter, shall fix the time and place of its regular meetings, provide a method for the calling of Special Meetings, and designate who shall act in the place of the First Selectman in the event of his or her absence or disability. It shall, by resolution, determine its own rules of procedure, except that each Selectman shall always retain the ability to make a motion or offer a proposal which shall be considered by the Board without the necessity of a second. All meetings of the Selectmen for the transaction of business shall be open to the public, subject to the provisions of Section
2.10. The votes of each member shall be recorded at the session at which they occur, in accordance with the General Statutes, and reported in the minutes of such meeting. Two members shall constitute a quorum, and no resolution or action shall be adopted by less than two affirmative votes.
Unless otherwise specified in this Charter or in the General
Statutes as amended, the Board of Selectmen shall make all appointments
to the following town offices: 911 Coordinator, Animal Control Officer,
Building Code Board of Appeals, Building Official, Burning Officials,
Conservation Commission, Constables, Director of Emergency Management,
Director of Health, Economic Development Commission, Fire Marshal
and Deputy Fire Marshal, Fire Wardens, Historic District Commission,
Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Agency, Municipal Agent for Elderly,
Ordinances Committee, Public Safety Committee, Recreation Committee,
Regional Planning Agency, Senior Citizen Board, Special Constables,
Street Naming Committee, Tax Assessor, Town Counsel, Town Engineer,
Town Sanitarian, Tree Warden, Water Commission.
The Board of Selectmen may propose to a town meeting duly called,
ordinances consistent with the General Statutes and this Charter on
any matter which the General Statutes or this Charter authorize to
be legislated by ordinance, and which in general would serve to aid
in the preservation of the good order, health, welfare and safety
of the town.
Except for the powers committed to the Board of Finance by the
General Statutes, the Selectmen shall have the power, subject to the
provisions of the General Statutes and this Charter:
(1) To incur indebtedness in the name of the town, and to provide for
the due execution of contracts and evidences of indebtedness issued
by the town;
(2) To purchase, lease, sell, or convey real or personal property of
or for the town; and also with the approval of the Planning and Zoning
Commission under General Statutes, or any successor statute of similar
import, the Selectmen may accept any of the following without town
meeting approval: new roads constructed to town standards and interests
in land reserved as open space or otherwise protected from development
pursuant to a development plan approved by the Planning and Zoning
Commission.
(3) To institute, prosecute, defend, or negotiate any legal action or
proceeding by or against the town;
(4) To enter into contractual arrangements with other municipalities to obtain needed services provided such arrangements meet with provisions set forth in Section
5.1.9 of this Charter;
(5) To put out to public bid all contracts in amounts in excess of ($5,000.00);
in accordance with the Town Procurement Policy;
(6) To pay all town bills and record all town expenditures against appropriations.
The Selectmen shall have such other powers and duties as are
provided by the General Statutes and this Charter.
The First Selectman shall be:
(1) The chief executive and administrative officer of the town, and shall
have the powers and duties of First Selectman conferred upon that
office by the General Statutes and by this Charter;
(2) An ex-officio member, without vote, of all town boards, commissions,
and committees. The First Selectman may attend all sessions, both
public and executive, of said boards, commissions, and committees.
In the event the First Selectman is unable to attend said sessions,
he or she may, in writing, appoint a Selectman to be his or her representative
at any of said sessions, also without vote. The First Selectman shall
be given reasonable notice of all meetings of all boards, commissions,
and committees;
(3) Chief of Police of the town, supervising the duties and responsibilities
of the constables and other police or/and public safety officers.
The First Selectman shall be responsible for:
(1) Executing and carrying out all ordinances, resolutions, policies
and other action approved by the Board of Selectmen or a town meeting;
(2) Coordinating administration of the agencies, boards, and commissions
of the town, except those functions expressly reserved or delegated
to such agencies by law;
(3) Guiding the Board of Selectmen in the discharge of all the Board's
duties and responsibilities;
(4) Directing and supervising the activities of town employees, and where
the First Selectman deems advisable, working with town employees,
except employees of the Board of Education and employees whose employment
is otherwise provided by law;
(5) Keeping full and complete records of the activities of this office;
(6) Providing monthly written financial reports and analysis to the Board
of Selectmen and the Board of Finance; such report shall be filed
with the Town Clerk by the end of the following month;
(7) Keeping or causing to be kept complete books of account showing the
financial transactions of the town, and all other accounts and records
as may be prescribed by the Board of Selectmen, the General Statutes,
this Charter, and a town meeting.
The First Selectman may from time to time assign and delegate
his or her duties and powers to another Selectman.