All general laws, special laws, Town bylaws, votes, rules and
regulations of or pertaining to the Town which are in force when changes
to this Charter take effect, and which are not specifically or by
implication repealed directly or indirectly hereby, shall continue
in full force and effect until amended or rescinded by due course
of law or until they expire by their own limitation.
All Town agencies shall continue to perform their duties until
reappointed, reelected, or until successors to their respective positions
are duly appointed or elected, or their duties have been transferred
and assumed by another Town agency in accordance with the provisions
of this Charter.
Any person holding an office or position in the administrative
service of the Town, or any person serving in the employment of the
Town shall retain such office or position and shall continue to perform
their duties until provisions shall have been made in accordance with
the Charter for the performance of the said duties by another person
or agency.
All records, property and equipment whatsoever of any office,
department, or agency or part thereof, the powers and duties of which
are assigned in whole or in part to another office or agency, shall
be transferred forthwith to the office, department or agency to which
such powers and duties are assigned.
[Added 1-25-2016 STM by Art. 2]
The vote to amend Sections
3-1(b), 3-1(f)(3), 3-5 and 4-2(c) of the Charter to change the position of Town Clerk from elected to appointed as approved at the January 25, 2016 Special Town Meeting shall take effect immediately upon approval by the voters at the 2016 Annual Town Election; provided, however, that any individual elected as Town Clerk at the same election at which the referenced Charter amendments are approved by the voters of the Town shall hold said office and perform the duties thereof only until the appointment to said office is made in accordance with Section
4-2(c) of the Charter. Upon appointment of a Town Clerk in accordance therewith, the position of elected Town Clerk shall be abolished. The Town Manager may make an appointment pursuant to Section
4-2(c) immediately upon the effective date of the within referenced amendments, notwithstanding the provisions of Section
7-10 of the Charter.
[Added 6-7-2022 ATM by Art. 15]
(a) As of the effective date of Section
5-3 of the Charter, the terms of the incumbent members of the Water and Sewer Commission shall be terminated and the office abolished; provided, however, that the members of the Water and Sewer Commission then in office shall be the initial members of a Water and Sewer Commission, which Commission shall, at the request of the Public Works Director or the Town Manager, consult with said official concerning matters related to water and sewer. Such incumbent members shall serve for a period equal to the remainder of their term, and, under the provisions of Subsection
(d) of Section
3-2 of the Charter, any vacancies may be filled by the Select Board for a period of time not to exceed 3 years, so that the appointments to such Commission are staggered and all members are not newly appointed in the same fiscal year.
(b) No person in the regular permanent full-time service or employment of the Town in relation to the functions addressed in Section
5-3 of this Charter shall forfeit the rate of compensation, grade, step or time of service because of the establishment of the Department of Public Works. Each such person shall be retained in a capacity as similar as may be practicable to the person's former capacity. No collective bargaining agreement, contract or liability in force on the effective date of the 2023 Charter amendment shall be affected by this vote to amend the Charter.
(c) All records, property and equipment of any office, department or agency or part of any office, department, or agency whose powers and duties were assigned by the 2023 Charter amendment to the Department of Public Works shall be transferred immediately upon the effective date of such amendments. All official bonds, obligations, contracts, and other instruments entered into or executed by or on behalf of the town prior to the effective date of this act and all taxes, assessments, fines, penalties and forfeitures incurred or imposed, due or owing to the town shall be enforced and collected, shall continue without abatement and shall remain unaffected by the 2023 Charter amendments. No contracts or liabilities in force on the effective date of Section
5-3 of the Charter shall be affected by this action or by the abolition of any offices under this amendment.