There shall be a Town Council, hereinafter referred to as "the
Council," consisting of seven members, who shall serve without compensation
except for reimbursement of actual expenses incurred in the performance
of official duties. No member of this Council shall hold any other
elective or appointive position or be an employee under the government
of the Town, including the school system, during the term for which
elected. No member of the Council shall hold any office or position
of profit under the government of the Town during the term of office
for which elected.
The organizational meeting shall be held on the following Tuesday
after the election. The meeting shall be called to order by the Town
Clerk, who shall administer the oath of office to all members, provided
that in the absence of the Town Clerk, the meeting may be called to
order and the oath administered by any citizen of Tolland who is authorized
by law to administer oaths. The Council shall proceed to elect a Chairperson
and a Vice Chairperson, but such office shall not deprive such Chairperson
or Vice Chairperson of his or her vote on any question. The Chairperson
shall preside over all meetings of the Council and perform such other
duties consistent with the Chairperson's office as may be imposed
by the Council. The Chairperson shall be recognized as the official
head of the Town for all ceremonial purposes. During the Chairperson's
absence or disability, the duties shall be performed by the Vice Chairperson.
At the organizational meeting, the Council shall fix the time
and place of its regular meetings and provide for a method for calling
special meetings. The regular meeting shall be held at least once
each month. The Council shall determine its own rules of procedure.
All meetings of the Council for the transaction of business shall
be open to the public, and the votes shall be recorded as prescribed
by the General Statutes. Four members shall constitute a quorum, but
no ordinance, resolution or vote, except to adjourn or to fix the
time and place of the next meeting, shall be adopted by fewer than
four affirmative votes. The Council shall keep, for public inspection,
a journal or minutes of all its proceedings, including all roll call
votes. Said journal or minutes shall be maintained by the Town and
shall be authenticated for each meeting by the presiding officer.
The legislative power of the Town shall be vested exclusively
in the Council, except as provided for in the Charter. The Council
shall have the powers not inconsistent with this Charter or the General
Statutes to enact, amend, or repeal ordinances; to create or abolish,
by ordinance, boards, commissions, departments and offices; and the
Council shall, upon the recommendation of the Town Manager, contract
for services. The Council shall assure the existence of a Council
approved Town of Tolland Personnel Policies Manual which shall be
kept current through the Town Manager's office. All updates to
the Personnel Policies Manual shall be approved by the Council. If
the Council adopts any federal or state code there shall be maintained
at least two copies of such code, rules or regulations in the office
of the Town Clerk for examination by the public. The Council by resolution
may regulate the internal operation of nonelected boards, commissions
and offices and fix the compensation of the Town Manager, the officers
and all employees as hereinafter provided in the Charter. The Council
may fix the charges to be made for services rendered by the Town.
The Council shall appropriate a reasonable amount of money to fund
the Planning and Zoning Commission's work on the Town Plan of
Conservation and Development.
Public hearings for the consideration of the annual budget,
supplementary or additional appropriations, ordinances and such other
actions as the Council shall determine shall be held at such time
and place as the Council may determine by resolution. Notice of the
time, place and purpose of such public hearings shall be publicized
within the Town in accordance with the General Statutes at least five
days prior to such public hearings. After such public hearings, a
straw poll of the registered voters and nonregistered voters of the
Town present may be taken on each issue and may constitute a public
expression of opinion for the guidance of the Council.
Every ordinance, after passage, shall be given a serial number
and be recorded by the Town Clerk in a book to be kept for that purpose.
Within 10 days after its passage, each ordinance shall be published
in summary form in a newspaper having a general circulation in the
Town, or be publicized within the Town in accordance with the General
Statutes. Each summary shall include a disclaimer that the description
is for informational purposes and a full copy of the ordinance may
be obtained, without charge, from the Town Clerk. Ordinances making
or requiring an appropriation of funds must be published in full.
Every ordinance, unless specifying a later date, shall become effective
on the 15th day after such publication following passage, except as
otherwise provided in the Charter.
An ordinance stated to be a public emergency measure and which
states the facts constituting such public emergency shall become effective
immediately after publication thereof as required in § C4-6
of this Charter, and no public hearing or notice of public hearing
shall be required for any public emergency ordinance. Every such emergency
ordinance, including amendments thereto, shall automatically stand
repealed at the termination of the 61st day following final passage
of said ordinance. Emergency ordinances shall not be subject to the
provisions of § C10-2 of this Charter. It is the intent
of the automatic repeal provision on the 61st day that emergency ordinances
be duly processed as ordinances and not be renewed or reenacted.
Any legislative power of the Town previously vested in the Special
Town Meeting shall be vested in the Town Council except as otherwise
provided in §§ C9-10, C9-16 and Chapter X of this Charter.
No member of the Council shall direct or request an appointment
of any person to any office or employment or direct or request the
removal of any person from office or employment, which office or employment,
by the provisions of this Charter, the Town Manager or any of the
Manager's appointees are empowered to fill by appointment. The
Council and its members shall deal with the Town employees solely
through the Town Manager, and neither the Council nor any member thereof
shall give orders to any of the subordinates of the Town Manager either
publicly or privately. If there is any desire to provide direction
to subordinates of the Town Manager, the Council is required to have
the discussion in a properly constituted meeting which the Town Manager
is invited to attend and to provide that direction as a single body
through the Town Manager. Any Council member violating the provisions
of this section shall be subject to public censure or removal by five
affirmative votes of the Council after notice and hearing as hereinafter
provided. Such member of the Council shall be served with a written
notice of the intention of the Council to censure or remove said member,
which notice shall contain a clear statement of the grounds for such
censure or removal. The Council shall also set a time and place at
which the member of the Council being subject to censure or removal
shall be given an opportunity to be heard. Such meeting shall be public
at the option of the member. The decision of the Council shall be
final.
The Council shall designate an independent certified public
accountant, or firm of independent certified public accountants, to
annually audit the books and accounts of the Town in accordance with
the General Statutes.