The Council shall consist of the Mayor and eight members who shall be elected from the Town at large at each regular Town election for terms of two years as provided herein.
The Council shall be the governing and legislative body of the Town and shall have, exercise, and perform all the rights, powers, duties and obligations which, on the effective date of this Charter, were conferred by law or may hereafter be conferred by the General Statutes upon the Town Meeting and upon Town commissions, boards, departments, and offices existing immediately prior to such date, except as the same may be assigned by this Charter, and except as may be inconsistent with the laws of the state. The Council shall have the final authority concerning the budget and the tax rate except as otherwise provided in this Charter. It shall further have power to make, alter and repeal ordinances or resolutions not inconsistent with this Charter and the general laws of the state for the execution of the powers vested in the Town, for the government of the Town and the management of its business, and for the preservation of the good order, peace, health and safety of the Town and its inhabitants.
Each newly elected Council shall meet for organization in the Town Hall at 8:00 p.m. on the Monday, or Tuesday in the event of a holiday, 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 citizen of Rocky Hill authorized by law to administer oaths. The newly elected Mayor shall then assume the chair as permanent presiding officer of the Council and shall designate a Deputy Mayor from among the members of the Council to preside in the Mayor's absence. In the event that both the Mayor and the Deputy Mayor are absent or unable to perform their duties, such duties shall be performed during the period of their absence or disability by a member chosen by the Council. The presiding officer, whether the Mayor or any Deputy Mayor, shall have one vote, but only one vote, on each matter voted by the Council.
The Council shall fix the 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 meeting, shall be acted upon at any special meeting. The Council shall determine its own rules of procedure except as specifically provided in this Charter. The presence of six members shall constitute a quorum, and no ordinance, resolution or vote, except a vote to adjourn or to fix the time and place of the next meeting, shall be adopted by less than five affirmative votes. The Council shall keep for public inspection a journal, which shall be the official record of its meetings, a copy of which shall be filed in the office of the Town Clerk within two weeks from the date of such meetings. The journal shall also contain the rules of procedure of the Council. No ordinances or resolutions shall be adopted except at a meeting of the Council open to the public.
All ordinances shall be introduced in written form by a member of the Council. It shall be the duty of the Council Clerk immediately upon introduction to file a copy of such proposed ordinance with the Town Clerk. It shall be the duty of the Town Clerk immediately upon receipt of such proposed ordinance to prepare sufficient copies of such ordinance, one copy of which shall be retained in their office for public inspection, one copy posted on the Town bulletin board, and one copy distributed to each member of the Council and to the Town Manager.
Before an ordinance, except an emergency ordinance, shall be passed, the Council shall hold at least one public hearing, five days' notice of which shall be given by publishing, at least once in a newspaper having circulation in the Town, the notice and a brief description of the ordinance, identifying the proposed ordinance's title, chapter and article to be amended and referring individuals to the Town Clerk's office and the Town's website for the full ordinance, and by posting the notice and the proposed ordinance on the Town bulletin board. After such hearing, the Council may make such changes as it considers advisable before passing said ordinance. Notice of the passage of any ordinance, described by title or subject matter, together with such changes in the proposed ordinance, shall be published at least once in a newspaper having a circulation in the Town, and an ordinance, except an emergency ordinance, shall become effective 30 days after such notice is published, provided that if a petition for a referendum is filed with the Town Clerk within the time specified in § C4-10, the ordinance shall not become effective except in accordance with the provisions of § C4-10. All adopted ordinances shall be filed with the Town Clerk and kept as a public record in the form of a suitably indexed volume or volumes of ordinances.
The Town shall have the power to incur indebtedness by issuing its bonds and notes as provided by Connecticut General Statutes subject to the limitations thereof and the provisions of this Charter. The issuance of bonds and notes shall be authorized by resolution of the Council, adopted in the same manner as provided in § C4-6 of this Charter insofar as § C4-6 relates to public hearings.
No resolution or ordinance authorizing the issuance of bonds or notes, other than notes in anticipation of taxes and other than notes in the amount of $300,000 or less, and no resolution or ordinance authorizing a lease purchase agreement for personal property with total deferred consideration or payments, including principal and interest, which becomes due after the current fiscal year in the amount of $300,000 or more, and no resolution or ordinance making an appropriation which, in addition to those contained in the annual budget, exceeds $300,000 or more, shall become effective until the same has been approved by a majority of the qualified electors or voters voting thereon at a regular election or special election called by the Council for that purpose. However, a referendum shall not be mandatory when such bond or note authorization, lease purchase agreement or such additional appropriation shall be for an emergency purpose to protect the public peace, health and safety, or shall be to finance a street, sewer or other improvement to be paid for by a special assessment and not by general taxation.
An emergency ordinance, including an emergency appropriation, shall be only for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health and safety, shall contain an explicit statement of the nature of the emergency; shall be adopted by not less than six affirmative votes in the Council; and shall take effect immediately. Every such emergency ordinance, including any amendment thereto, shall automatically stand repealed at the termination of the 61st day following the passage of said ordinance unless sooner repealed. In no event shall the annual budget constitute an emergency appropriation.
Electors or voters shall have the right to petition for a referendum in accordance with the provisions of Section 7-9 of the Connecticut General Statutes on any ordinance or additional appropriation passed by the Council, except an emergency ordinance. A referendum must be held when there shall be filed with the Town Clerk, within 30 days of the published notice of the passage of the ordinance or additional appropriation, a petition signed by qualified electors or voters in number equal to 5% or more of the total number of electors or voters of the Town, which petition shall be filed with the Town Clerk, who shall, within 10 days, determine whether or not the petition contains sufficient number of valid signatures, and if it does, so shall certify to the Council. The ordinance or additional appropriation shall not then take effect until the Council has submitted it to a referendum, which shall be held not less than 30 days nor more than 60 days after the filing of the petition. The ordinance or additional appropriation shall be null and void in the event that a majority of the electors or voters voting thereon, such majority consisting of at least 10% of the qualified electors or voters of the Town, shall vote in the negative. Otherwise, it shall take effect immediately following the referendum.
The electors or voters shall have the power to propose to the Council any ordinance, except an ordinance appointing or removing officials specifying the compensation or hours of work of officials and employees, adopting the annual budget, authorizing the levy of taxes, or fixing the tax rate. The Ordinance shall be proposed by a petition to the Council, in accordance with and subject to the provisions of Section 7-9 of the Connecticut General Statutes, setting forth the proposed ordinance and requesting its adoption, which petition shall be signed by qualified electors or voters of the Town, in number equal to 5% or more of the total number of qualified electors or voters of the Town. The petition shall be filed with the Town Clerk who shall, within 10 days, determine whether or not the petition contains the required number of valid signatures and if it does, the Town Clerk shall so certify to the Council at its next regular meeting. The Council shall, within 60 days after certification, either adopt the proposed ordinance after a public hearing or submit the same to the electors or voters at the special election to be held within 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 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 and such majority consist of 10% or more of the total number of qualified electors or voters of the Town. No ordinance which shall have been adopted in accordance with the provisions of this section shall be repealed or amended by the Council except by vote of the electors or voters.
A. 
The Council shall have the power by six affirmative votes of its membership, by resolution, in its sole discretion, with or without cause, to remove or suspend the Town Manager, and shall have the power by majority of the full membership in its sole discretion and for whatever cause it shall deem sufficient to remove or suspend by resolution any person appointed by the Council to any other office or position.
B. 
The Council shall act first by suspending such person and shall promptly serve that person with a copy of the resolution of suspension together with the reasons if any. If within 10 days after the serving of said resolution such person shall file a request, in writing, with the Town Clerk for a public hearing before the Council, the hearing requested shall be held at a time and place set by the Council, not less than five days nor more than 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 Council shall promptly, by resolution, terminate the suspension and either restore the person to, or remove the person from, their office or employment. Compensation, if any, shall be continued during the period of the suspension or for 30 days from the date of suspension, whichever is longer. There shall be no appeal from the decision of the Council.
C. 
The Council may adopt rules of procedure which may provide that hearings can be held by one or more hearing officers to be selected from the membership of the Council or, in the alternative, the Council may appoint a special hearing officer. The hearing officer(s) shall then report a recommended finding of facts to the Council and the Council then shall approve or disapprove the report or any portion thereof and, on the basis of the facts so determined, render its decision on the issues presented.
The Council shall have the power to investigate any and all Town commissions, boards, departments and offices. The Mayor, deputy mayor, the chairman of any committee of the Council, upon authorization by the Council, shall have the power, for the purpose of such investigation, to issue subpoenas, and at their request, any judge may issue a capias for the appearance of witnesses and the production of documents.
The members of the Council shall serve without compensation, but shall be entitled to reimbursement for their actual expenses incurred in the performance of their official duties.
During the term for which elected, no member of the Council shall hold any employment or elective or appointive office in or under the Town government except the office of Justice of the Peace.
The Council may take, purchase, hold, lease, sell or convey by resolution any real property owned by the Town or in which the Town has an interest or desires to purchase when the consideration received or paid is less than $100,000. The Council shall take, purchase, hold, lease, sell or convey by ordinance any real property owned by the Town or in which the Town has an interest or desires to purchase when the consideration received or paid is $100,000 or more. If the Council is planning to sell, lease or convey real property, where the consideration is over $10,000, the Council shall invite sealed bids or proposals, giving 10 days' public notice thereof by at least one publication in a newspaper having a circulation in the Town and shall let the contract to the best qualified bidder thereon in the opinion of the Council and which is in the best interests of the Town of Rocky Hill or shall reject all such bids or proposals. All such sealed bids or proposals shall be opened publicly. Records of all such sealed bids or proposals and of the successful bidder shall be kept in the office of the Purchasing Agent, where they shall be open to public inspection.