The inhabitants of the Town of New Shoreham, within the corporate
limits as now or hereafter established by law, shall continue to be
a municipal body politic and corporate in perpetuity, under the name
of "Town of New Shoreham," otherwise Block Island, and shall continue
to have, exercise and enjoy all the rights, immunities, powers, privileges
and franchises, and shall be subject to all the duties and obligations
that have been conferred upon, and are incumbent upon said Town as
a municipal corporation, by the Charter of 1672, the Constitution
and the general laws of the state, and by all special acts pertaining
to said Town insofar as they are not altered by this Charter or its
amendments. The enumeration of particular powers by this Charter shall
not be deemed to be exclusive; and in addition to the enumerated or
implied powers the Town shall have all powers under the Constitution
and laws of this State as fully and completely as though they were
specifically enumerated in this Charter.
The town government established by this Charter shall be a Council-Manager
form of government. Pursuant to the provisions of this Charter and
subject only to the limitations imposed by the Constitution of the
State and by this Charter, all powers of the Town, except those vested
in the financial town meeting, shall be vested in an elected Town
Council, which shall determine policies and enact local legislation,
and in a Town Manager employed by the Town Council who shall be responsible
to the Town Council for the execution of its policies and laws and
for the administration of town government.
The Town of New Shoreham may exercise any of its powers or perform
any of its functions and may participate in the financing thereof,
jointly or in cooperation, by contract or otherwise, with any one
or more states or civil divisions or agencies thereof, or the United
States or any agency thereof, or with another town or towns, special
district or other political entity or entities in the State of Rhode
Island.
The Town Council shall adopt policies to ensure to the most
practical and reasonable extent possible, that public documents regarding
open-session agenda items that have been distributed to members of
the Town Council, Planning Board, Zoning Board of Review, Conservation
Commission, Historic District Commission, Police Advisory Board and
Public Facilities Review Commission, have been posted on such digital
platforms as the Town Council may direct. The Town Council shall adopt
policies to ensure to the most practical and reasonable extent possible,
the broadcast and recording of all Town Council meetings, and all
meetings of the Planning Board, Zoning Board of Review, Conservation
Commission, Historic District Commission, Police Advisory Board and
Public Facilities Review Commission, have been posted on such digital
platforms as the Town Council may direct.om