All appointive agencies shall be established by ordinance or state statute and their members and alternates shall be appointed by the Mayor, with the advice and consent of the Board of Selectmen unless otherwise provided in this chapter. Such agencies are granted all powers and duties as forth in the General Statutes, as amended.
A. 
Only an elector of the Town shall be eligible for appointment to any agency, except for the Building Code of Appeals. Any appointee ceasing to be an elector of the Town shall thereon cease to be a member of such agency.
B. 
Political composition of agencies (See Chapter II, Section 2). Except as provided within this Charter, the composition of all agencies shall be in accordance with the requirements of the General Statutes relating to minority representation.
C. 
All agencies shall have the powers and duties granted or imposed upon such officials and agencies by the General Statutes, as amended, this Charter, and any applicable special act(s). In January of each year, unless otherwise provided by law, all agencies shall elect a Chairman, a Vice-Chairman, and a Secretary. All agencies shall make rules for the conduct of their meetings and the execution of their duties. Such rules and any amendments shall be filed with the Town Clerk and shall be public record.
D. 
The term of appointment of each member of an appointed agency who is appointed after the effective date of this Charter shall be five years, if the term of appointment of a member filling a vacancy shall be for the remainder of the vacating member's term. All such members shall serve until their successor has been appointed and qualified.
E. 
Vacancies on appointive agencies.
1. 
The resignation of any agency member who has been appointed by the Mayor, with the advice and consent of the Board of Selectmen, prior to the end of such member's term shall be effective upon submission of a letter of resignation signed by such agency member to the Town Clerk.
2. 
The term of appointment for members of appointed agencies who serve by their position as an elected official shall cease upon the member vacating an elective office.
The following agencies have been created by ordinance or Charter and as of the effective date of this Charter, as amended, continue to exist. Such agencies can be modified or eliminated by ordinance.
A. 
Aquifer Protection Agency: consists of five members, appointed for a term of five years. The Zoning Commission serves as the Aquifer Protection Agency for the Town with a focus on implementing and enforcing regulations that protect the Town's aquifers.
B. 
Building Code Board of Appeals: consists of five members, who need not be residents of Putnam, for a term of five years, who hear persons wishing to appeal the decision of the Building Official.
C. 
Commission on Aging: consists of nine members appointed for a term of five years to focus on the needs of the aging residents.
D. 
Conservation Commission: consists of five members appointed for a term of five years to focus on the conservation and protection of natural resources.
E. 
Economic Development Commission: consists of five members appointed for a term of five years to focus on the economic and community development of the Town.
F. 
Ethics Commission: consists of five members for a term of five years for hearing ethics concerns.
G. 
Housing Authority: consists of five members appointed for a term of five years to supervise all public housing, investigate and research the condition of housing and coordinate with other municipal agencies, as they pertain to housing.
H. 
Inland Wetlands Commission: consists of five members appointed for a term of five years to review applications which may impact the Town's watercourses or wetlands.
I. 
Planning Commission: consists of five members appointed for a term of five years to focus on the future planning for the Town.
J. 
Recreation Commission: consists of five members appointed for a term of five years to focus on the recreation needs of the Town.
K. 
Redevelopment Agency: consists of five members appointed for a term of five years to focus on planning and redevelopment of urban areas.
L. 
Water Pollution Control Authority.
1. 
There shall be a Water Pollution Control Authority (WPCA), which shall be the water pollution control authority of the Town and shall have all the powers of such an authority as provided by the General Statutes, as amended, and the other administrative agencies of said state, which have powers to regulate such authorities, except as otherwise provided herein.
2. 
The Water Pollution Control Authority shall consist of five members, at least one of whom shall reside within the District. The WPCA shall have supervision and control of all municipally owned water and sewer facilities. The Authority shall administer all laws, ordinances, and regulations, if any, governing the use of such facilities.
3. 
Except for a vote of the legislative body to the contrary, all costs, from whatever cause arising, shall be borne by the users of the system. The Authority shall determine the charges for the use of the sewer systems in accordance with the provision of Section 7-255 of the General Statutes, as amended, and shall follow the provisions of Section 7-239, as amended, in establishing the charges for the use of the water systems.
4. 
The Town of Putnam shall hold the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) plant permit. The Mayor, as chief executive officer of the Town, is responsible for oversight of the WPCA.
5. 
The WPCA may recommend the creation or abolition of all positions for said plants' operations and be responsible for determining necessary skill levels.
6. 
The WPCA shall have the power to negotiate for legal, financial, and other services as required.
7. 
The WPCA shall have the power to incur and approve expenditures and to revise budget line items during the fiscal year.
8. 
Additional responsibilities of the WPCA shall include but not be limited to rate setting; hiring of outside contractors and/or consultants including financial and specialized legal; development of plants' budgets, review of expenses; review of plants' operations; advising the Mayor's Office of any violations and complaints.
9. 
Wages, salaries, and benefits of all WPCA union and nonunion workers shall be determined by the Mayor and Board of Selectmen in concurrence with the WPCA.
M. 
Zoning Board of Appeals: consists of five members appointed for a term of five years to hear appeals of decisions made by the Zoning Commission
N. 
Zoning Commission: consists of five members appointed for a term of five years to establish and administer the Town's zoning regulations
A. 
Except as otherwise provided in this Charter, any appointed official, administrative member (exclusive of employees) of a board or commission may be removed during a term of office on the recommendation of the Mayor, with the advice and consent of the Board of Selectmen, but only for good cause related to the performance of an official duty. Such person shall first be notified by registered mail of the intent to remove; upon written request to the Mayor within 15 days from the receipt of the removal notice, be immediately given notice in writing of the specific grounds of removal. If requested in writing submitted to the Board of Selectmen within five days from the receipt of such specific grounds, said official, board member, may request a public or private hearing. The Board of Selectmen shall notify said official or board member in writing, setting forth the time and place for an opportunity to present a defense, personally or by counsel, to be held not less than five or more than 20 days after receipt of such request for hearing. Following any hearing, the Board of Selectmen shall make a final determination whether to remove such official or board member.
B. 
Should any member of an Administrative Agency as set forth in Chapter VI be arrested for a felony, said official shall promptly notify the Mayor's office on a confidential basis of that fact. After reasonable investigation, the Mayor may request that the official voluntarily go on inactive status until the matter is determined in a court of law, or if the Mayor feels that the charges involved, if true, would affect the individual's ability to discharge their duties to the Town or affect the general public's confidence in the function of the board or commission. Should the individual fail to acquiesce in the Mayor's request, the Mayor may, in appropriate circumstances, recommend placing the official on inactive status to the Board of Selectmen, which shall be instituted upon a concurrence of a majority of the Board of Selectmen present and voting after notice an opportunity to be heard by the official involved.
The Board of Selectmen, by a majority vote of the entire Board, may create such temporary agencies and offices as it may determine are necessary for the general health, safety, and welfare of the Town and may prescribe their duties by resolution. Nonvoting members of special committees need not be electors of the Town.