This Charter may be replaced, revised, or amended in accordance
with any procedures made available under the constitution and laws
of the Commonwealth.
The provisions of this Charter are severable. If any provision
of this Charter is held to be invalid, the other provisions of this
Charter shall remain in full force and effect and shall not be affected
thereby. If the application of this Charter or any of its provisions
to any person or circumstances is held to be invalid, the application
of this Charter and its provisions to other people and circumstances
shall not be affected thereby.
To the extent that any specific provision of this Charter shall
conflict with any provision expressed in general terms, the specific
provisions of this Charter shall prevail.
Words importing the singular number may extend and be applied
to several people or things; words importing the plural number may
include the singular; words importing the feminine gender shall include
the masculine gender; words importing the masculine gender shall include
the feminine gender.
A copy of all rules and regulations adopted by any Town agency
shall be filed in the office of the Town Clerk and any such rule or
regulation shall become effective on the date of such filing, unless
otherwise provided for by law or bylaw. Copies of all such rules and
regulations shall be made available for review by any person who requests
such information pursuant to the public records law.
(a)
Notwithstanding the provisions of any general or special law to the
contrary, any appointed officer, appointed member of an agency, or
employee of the Town not covered by the terms of a collective bargaining
agreement or other agreement addressing removal, and whether appointed
for a fixed or indefinite term, may be removed from office by the
appointing authority. The appointing authority, when removing any
such officer, appointed member of an agency, or employee of the Town,
shall act in accordance with the Town's personnel bylaws or rules
and regulations.
(b)
A person appointed to serve as a volunteer for the Town may be removed
from office by the appointing authority if the person has missed 50
percent or more of the agency's duly posted meetings over a six-month
period.
At any time, an article may be placed on a Town Meeting warrant
by the Select Board or by citizen petition to amend this Charter.
Any Charter amendments that are approved by Town Meeting shall either
be presented for adoption by the voters at the next Annual Town Election
or shall be submitted to the State Legislature for enactment.
At least once in every 10-year period after the effective date
of this Charter, the Select Board shall establish a special committee
for the purpose of reviewing this Charter. After review, the special
committee shall present its report and any related warrant articles
at Town Meeting.
The special committee shall consist of nine members who shall
be appointed as follows: each member of the Select Board shall designate
one person, the Finance Committee shall designate two people, the
School Committee shall designate one person, and the Moderator shall
designate one person. People appointed may, but need not, be members
of the agency that designates them, except in the case of the Select
Board where no more than two members of the Select Board shall serve
on the committee. The committee shall hold a public hearing within
30 days after the date on which it meets to organize and hold at least
one additional public hearing before filing its final report.
