This charter may be replaced, revised or amended in accordance with any procedure made available under the state constitution or by the General Laws.
The provisions of this charter are severable. If any provision of this charter is held invalid the other provisions shall not be affected by this holding. If the application of this charter, or any of its provisions, to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the application of the charter and its provisions to other persons and circumstances shall not be affected thereby.
To the extent that a specific provision of this charter conflicts with any provision expressed in general terms, the specific provision of the charter shall prevail.
Unless an emergency exists, as determined by the mayor, a copy of all rules and regulations adopted by a city agency shall be placed on file in the office of the city clerk at least 5 days before such rules or regulations are to become effective and shall be available for review by any person who requests such information at any reasonable time.
Not later than August 1, at 5-year intervals, in each year ending in a 3 and 8, the mayor and city council shall provide for a review to be made of some or all of the ordinances of the city to prepare a proposed revision or recodification of them. The review of city ordinances shall be under the supervision of the city attorney.
This review shall be made by a special committee to consist of 7 members, all of whom shall be voters in the city. The committee's members shall be appointed as follows: 5 shall be appointed by the city council president and 2 shall be appointed by the mayor. At least 3 of the persons appointed by the city council president shall be members of the city council and 2 shall be residents but shall not be elected or appointed officers or employees of the city. The appointing authority shall fill any vacancies within 21 days.
The special committee shall file its report with the city clerk not later than October 1 in the year following the year in which the committee is appointed. The recommendations of the special committee shall appear on the city council's agenda for action before November 15 in such year, and if not so scheduled by the city clerk, the matter shall come before the city council for action at its meeting next held following November 15, and no other business shall be in order until such report has been acted upon by roll call vote.
In each year between these reenactments, an annual supplement shall be prepared which shall contain all ordinances and amendments to ordinances adopted in the preceding year. Copies of the supplement shall be made available to the public on the city website, and shall be provided upon request at a cost not to exceed the actual cost of the reproduction.
Not later than July 1, at 10-year intervals, in each year ending in a 7, the mayor and city council shall provide for a review to be made of the city charter. This review shall be made by a special committee to consist of 7 members, all of whom shall be voters in the city. The city council president shall appoint 4 members, 2 of whom shall be councilors, and 2 of whom shall be residents but shall not be elected or appointed officers of the city. The mayor shall make 2 appointments, and the school committee vice-chair shall make 1 appointment. The appointing authority shall fill any vacancies within 21 days.
The special committee shall file its report with the city clerk, not later than August 1 in the year following the year in which the committee is appointed. The recommendations of the special committee shall appear on the city council's agenda for action before August 15 in such year and, if not so scheduled by the city clerk, the matter shall come before the city council for action at its meeting next held following August 15, and no other business shall be in order until such report has been acted upon, by roll call vote. Copies of any recommendations shall be made available to the public on the city website, and shall be available upon request at a cost not to exceed the actual cost of the reproduction.
(a) 
Officers - All appointed multiple-member bodies shall annually elect a chair, a vice-chair, a secretary and any other officer the body deems necessary from among the body's membership, but not including alternate members.
(b) 
Meetings - All appointed multiple-member bodies of the city shall meet regularly at the times and places that the multiple-member body, by the body's own rules, shall prescribe. Special meetings of any multiple-member body shall be held at the call of the chair or by a majority of the members of the body. Notice of the meeting shall be posted as required by law. Except as may otherwise be authorized by law, all meetings of all multiple-member bodies shall at all times be open to the public.
(c) 
Meeting Documents and Submissions - Each appointed multiple-member body shall determine its own rules and order of business. Each multiple-member body shall provide for the keeping of agendas, minutes and related submissions of its proceedings. All such documents shall be a public record and certified copies shall be placed on file in the office of the city clerk within a reasonable period from the date of approval.
(d) 
Voting - If requested by a member, a vote of an appointed multiple-member body shall be taken by a roll call vote and the vote of each member shall be recorded in the minutes, but if the vote is unanimous, only that fact need be recorded.
(e) 
Quorum - A majority of the members of an appointed multiple-member body shall constitute a quorum. Unless some other provision is made by the multiple-member body's own rules while a quorum is present, except on procedural matters, a majority of the full membership of the body shall be required to vote on any matter representing an exercise of the powers of the multiple-member body unless otherwise required by the General Laws. General Laws related to a vote to meet in "executive session" shall always require a majority of members of the body.
(f) 
Residency - All members of multiple-member bodies must be residents of the city at all times during their entire term. If a member of a multiple-member body removes from the city during the term for which appointed, such seat shall immediately be deemed vacant and filled by the appointing authority.
(g) 
Notice to Mayor - A multiple-member body may, by majority vote, send a notice to the mayor if the extended absence of one or more members is impeding the ability of such body to maintain a quorum, fulfill its responsibilities, or otherwise preventing the body from taking action in a timely manner.
All references to General Laws contained in the charter refer to the General Laws of the commonwealth and are intended to refer to and to include any amendments or revisions to such chapters or sections or to the corresponding chapters and sections of any rearrangement, revision or recodification of such statutes enacted or adopted subsequent to the adoption of this charter.
In computing time under this charter the day of the act or event after which the designated period of time begins to run shall not be included. The last day of the period shall be included, unless it is a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday, in which event the period shall be extended to the next day which is not a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday. When the period of time designated is fewer than 7 days, intermediate Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays shall not be included, when the period is 7 days or more, Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays shall be included.
A mayor-elect, the city council members-elect, and the school committee members-elect shall, on the first Monday in the January of each even-numbered year, meet and take an oath or affirmation to the faithful discharge of the duties of their office by the city clerk. If the first Monday in January of any even-numbered year falls on a legal holiday, the oaths or affirmations shall be taken on the following day.
Upon receiving the oath or affirmation, each official shall document the same by signing an oath or affirmation that shall be kept in a bound book maintained by the city clerk. In the case of the absence of the mayor-elect or any member-elect of the city council or school committee on the day the oath is administered, the oath or affirmation may at any time thereafter be administered to that person by the city clerk, the assistant city clerk, a judge of a court of record or by a justice of the peace.
Every person who is elected or appointed to an office or as a member of a multiple-member body shall receive a certificate of that election or appointment from the city clerk. Except as otherwise provided by law, every person who is elected or appointed to an office or as a member of a multiple-member body, before performing any act under this election or appointment, shall take and subscribe to an oath or affirmation to qualify to enter upon the duties. A record of this oath shall be kept by the city clerk.
Unless otherwise allowed by law or this charter, no person shall simultaneously hold more than 1 city office or position of employment. This section may be waived by the mayor upon the appointment of a person to an additional office or position of employment by filing a notice of the waiver with an explanation and justification with the city clerk. Any hours worked in any part-time position shall not be the same or otherwise conflict with the hours worked in a full-time position.
An elected official who has been convicted of a state or federal felony while holding office shall be deemed to have vacated the office.
It shall be the duty of the mayor to see that the charter is faithfully followed and that all city agencies and city employees comply with its provisions. Whenever it appears to the mayor that a city agency or city employee is failing to follow this charter the mayor shall, in writing, cause notice to be given to such city agency or city employee directing compliance with the charter. If it shall appear to the city council that the mayor personally is not following the charter, the city council shall, by resolution, direct the attention of the mayor to those areas in which it believes there is a failure to comply with the charter. The procedures made available in chapter 231A of the General Laws may be used to determine the rights, duties, status or other legal relations arising under this charter, including any question of construction or validity which may be involved in such determination.
Not later than February 1, at 10-year intervals, in each year that ends in a 4, the mayor and city council shall appoint a special committee to review the purpose and need for each appointed multiple-member body of the city established by ordinance.
The review shall be made by a special committee to consist of 5 voters of the city, 3 of whom shall be appointed by the city council president and 2 of whom shall be appointed by the mayor. The city council president shall appoint 1 city councilor and 2 residents of the city, who shall not be elected or appointed officers or employees of the city. The appointing authority shall fill any vacancies within 21 days.
The special committee shall file a report outlining any findings and recommendations for changes with the city clerk, not later than April 1 in the year following the year the special committee is appointed. The recommendations of the special committee shall appear on the city council's agenda for action before April 15 in that year, and if not so scheduled by the city clerk, the matter shall come before the city council for action at its next meeting held following April 15, and no other business shall be in order until such report has been acted upon by roll call vote.
All documents cited in this article as available for public inspection shall be maintained in the office of the city clerk and in the public library. The city clerk shall provide copies of documents to the public library in a timely manner.
(a) 
All city employees shall be considered municipal employees under Chapter 268A of the General Laws and shall comply with the state conflict of interest laws.
(b) 
The mayor, city councilors, school committee members and members of multiple-member bodies shall not seek to individually influence the official acts of any city official, or to direct or request, except in writing, the appointment or removal of any person to or from office, or to interfere in any way with the performance of such officers of their duties. This provision shall not prohibit:
(1) 
assistance to constituents in their dealings with city officials if constituent requests to the appropriate administrative officials have been unsuccessful;
(2) 
advocacy of particular outcomes on matters pending before the city if the matter is of a general nature; or
(3) 
submission of recommendations or references on behalf of a candidate for city employment which are consistent with this charter.
The city council, the school committee, and all multiple-member bodies shall develop and adopt rules or a policy addressing public comment. The rules or policy shall require that public comment periods appear on meeting agendas for all regular and special meetings. Public comment shall not be limited to items on the agenda for any regular meeting, provided the issues or concerns raised are within the jurisdiction of the city council, school committee, or any multiple-member body, respectively; public comment at any special meeting shall be limited to items on the meeting agenda.
The rules or policy shall consider the convenience of the public when scheduling such public comments periods. The city council, school committee, and every multiple-member body shall post its public comment rules or policy on the city website and shall, at least annually, review the rules or policy and make revisions as needed.
No elected official other than the mayor shall be eligible to participate in the city's health insurance and related benefit programs; provided, however, that any other elected officials in office at the time of this charter's adoption and who are receiving such benefits shall continue to be eligible for the city's health insurance and related benefit programs for as long as they are in continuous elective service to the city.