There shall be a Department of Finance, consisting of the Director
of Finance and such other employees as the Council may determine.
In addition to other duties described below, the Director of Finance
shall also have the powers of a Deputy Town Treasurer. It shall be
the duty of the Director of Finance to install, maintain and operate
for the town a modern municipal accounting system showing the current
condition of all funds and appropriations; to file with the Manager
and Council, monthly, on or before such day as the Council shall determine,
a report of the financial transactions of the fiscal year to date,
showing the amount of each appropriation, the charges against and
credits to the same and the unencumbered balance therein at the end
of the fiscal period being reported on; to prepare and file, with
the Manager and Council, within one hundred twenty (120) days of the
conclusion of each fiscal year, a report covering all financial transactions
of the town for such fiscal year, the Council may extend the deadline
for such report for up to two (2) periods of thirty (30) days per
extension; to prescribe the form of accounts to be kept by each department,
office, board, commission and agency of the town, except the Board
of Education, and the times at which and manner in which moneys collected
on the town's account, by any such department, officer, board,
commission or agency, shall be paid into the town treasury; and to
perform such other duties as may be prescribed by the Council, by
ordinance, or by the orders of the Manager, consistent therewith (see
Section 716).
There shall be a Department of Public Safety, which shall consist
of the Divisions of Police, Fire, and Building Inspection. The head
of the Department of Public Safety shall be the Director of Public
Safety, who, until the Council determines otherwise, shall be the
Manager. The Director of Public Safety shall be the traffic authority,
as defined in the General Statutes.
(a)
Division of Police. There shall be a Division of Police, consisting
of the Chief of Police and such other officers and employees of such
ranks and grades as the Council may determine. The Division of Police
shall be responsible for the preservation of the public peace; prevention
of crime; apprehension of criminals; regulation 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 sworn officers or all police officers
within 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 General Statutes. The duties of
the Animal Control Officer, as provided in the General Statutes, shall
be assumed by the Division of Police. The Chief of Police shall be
the executive officer of the Division of Police and shall assign all
members of the Division to their respective posts, shifts, details
and duties, 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 and shall make rules for the operation of the Division
and the conduct of police work, subject to the approval of the Director
of Public Safety. The violation of these rules by any member of the
Division shall be punishable by appropriate disciplinary action, which
may include loss of pay, suspension from duty 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 Director of Safety,
and no suspension for more than thirty (30) days or removal shall
be made, except in accordance with the provisions of Chapter VIII
of this Charter.
(b)
Division of Fire. It is 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 town, however, by this Charter, reserves the right
to establish or encourage the establishment of additional volunteer
companies. There shall be a Fire Chief, who shall direct the operation
of the fire companies at fires; institute and conduct suitable training
programs for fire fighters, in cooperation with company officers;
and perform such other duties as may be prescribed, by ordinance,
or the orders of the Director of Public Safety. 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.
There shall be a Department of Public Works, consisting of the
Director of Public Works, who, until the Council determines otherwise,
shall be the Manager, the Town Engineer, and such other employees
as the Council may determine. The Department of Public Works may have
such powers and duties as are generally associated with such departments
including the maintenance of public property; preparation of plans
for construction of public buildings and other public structures;
and shall perform such duties as may be prescribed by the Council,
by ordinance or by the orders of the Manager in accordance with the
Manager's powers.
There shall be a Department of Parks and Recreation, consisting
of a Director of Parks and Recreation, and such other employees as
the Council may determine. The Department of Parks and Recreation
shall have charge of all parks, park and recreation properties and
of all recreation activities of the town, except such as may be undertaken
by the Board of Education, provided that the ordinary care and maintenance
of park grounds and buildings shall be furnished by the Department
of Public Works, as provided in Section 603. The Director of Parks
and Recreation, with the approval of the Parks and Recreation Board
(see Section 510), shall make rules for the use of parks, public grounds
and recreation facilities consistent with the ordinances of the town
and the statutes of the state, which shall have the force of law.
It shall be the duty of the Division of Police to enforce these rules.
There shall be a Department of Health, consisting of a Director
of Health, possessing the qualifications required by law for directors
of health, who shall have all the powers and duties of directors of
health, as provided in the General Statutes, and such employees as
the Council may determine by ordinance, or the Council may choose
to join a regional health district.
There shall be a Department of Social and Youth Services, consisting
of a Director and such other employees as the Council may determine.
The administration of all forms of human service activities shall
be under the immediate direction of the Director, who shall have all
the powers and duties conferred or imposed by law.
There shall be such other departments, divisions, offices and
agencies organized in such manner as the Council shall determine by
ordinance.
