The title of this document shall be the "Charter of the City of Norwalk" or "Charter."
[1]
NOTE: NEW (2023).
All the Electors of this state, inhabitants of the Town of Norwalk ("Town"), are hereby declared to be a body politic and corporate under the name of the City of Norwalk, and by that name they and their successors shall be capable of suing and being sued, pleading and being impleaded in all courts, and of purchasing, holding and conveying any estate, real or personal. The City shall have a common seal and alter the same at pleasure.
The territorial limits of the City of Norwalk shall be the same as those of the Town of Norwalk as the same exist at the passage of Sp. Laws 1913, No. 352, and the boundaries of the Town as they so exist shall be the boundaries of the City.
Transfer of Rights and Liability from Town to City: Liability of City[1]. All property, both real and personal, and all rights of action and all securities and liens belonging to or vested in the Town of Norwalk as of the date this Charter first took effect are hereby transferred to the City, and the City thereafter was and remains liable for all debts and obligations of the Town, payable out of the treasury of the City. The City shall hereafter perform all the duties and have and exercise all the rights, powers, and privileges conferred upon the Town, and all laws imposing such duties, burdens, and expenses and conferring such rights, powers and privileges upon the Town are hereby made applicable to the City.
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NOTE: 2023 Recodification of current Article I - General. § 1-4 through 1-5. Derived from Sp. Laws 1913, No. 352, § 5 and 6. Note: The Special Act included the following liabilities: "All burdens and expenses imposed by law upon the Town of Norwalk for the conduct of elections, the care and support of poor, insane, and imbecile persons, the construction and maintenance of highways and bridges, the support of schools, the construction and maintenance of public buildings, the prosecution of criminal offenses, the payment of principal and interest of the town debt, the payment of state, military, and county taxes, and for all other purposes for which towns are liable." Repealed from the Charter are the following provisions: (1) Current Article I. General - Exclusion of Town Meetings. § 1-6. Derived from Sp. Laws 1913, No. 352, § 9; (2) Current Article I - Rights, privileges, and immunities vested in the Cities of Norwalk, South Norwalk, East Norwalk Fire District and the Town of Norwalk, General. § 1-7. Derived from Sp. Laws 1913, No. 352, § 173. Historical Editor's Note: See also § 1-433, for inclusion of bridge into the state highway system; and, (3) Current Article V, Part 1 - General. § 1-210. Derived from Sp. Laws 1913, No. 352, § 174. Historical Editor's Note: For vacancies in office refer to § 1-174.
A.
In addition to all powers granted to municipalities under the State Constitution and the General Statutes, or which may hereinafter be conferred, the City shall have all powers:
(1)
specifically granted by this Charter and all powers fairly implied in or incidental to the powers expressly granted to municipalities, now or hereafter, by the State Constitution or General Statutes to the management of the property, government and affairs of the City; and,
(2)
conferred by the Special Acts, which the City deems to be of continued applicability.
B.
The enumeration of particular powers in this and of any other chapter of this Charter shall not be construed as limiting this general grant of power but shall be considered as an addition thereto. The City shall exercise all the rights, powers, privileges, functions and jurisdiction essential to a proper exercise of its corporate functions, including all that may be necessarily incident to, or may be fairly implied from, the powers specifically conferred upon this City.
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NOTE: NEW (2023). Repealed were Historical Special; Act provisions pertaining to: (1) Building, owning, leasing and using docks, wharves, piers, bridges and property along waterfront (current Article I - General. § 1-8. Derived from Sp. Laws 1921, No. 400, § 8. Historical Editor's Note: For "Shorefront Property Acquisition and Improvement Boards," see §§ 1-654 to 1-658.); (2) Acquisition of public lands and buildings owned by any taxing district (current Article I - General. § 1-9. Derived from Sp. Laws 1931, No. 283, § 1.); (3) Acquisition of property for public use by condemnation (current Article I - General. § 1-10. Derived from Sp. Laws 1931, No. 283, § 2); (4) Acquisition of school property owned by taxing districts (current Article I - General. § 1-11. Derived from Sp. Laws 1931, No. 283, § 3.); (5) Authorization of Council to establish a building district where it shall be unlawful to construct or remove wooden buildings (current Article I - General. § 1-14. Derived from Sp. Laws 1913, No. 352 § 139. Historical Editor's Note: § 1-268, as to provision for lien for costs); and, (6) Salaries of the Officers of the City and Town of Norwalk (current Article V, Part 1 - General. § 1-224. Derived from Sp. Laws 1913, No. 352, § 169; Sp. Laws 1927, No. 255; Sp. Laws 1929, No. 102; Sp. Laws 1933, No. 335, § 2; Sp. Laws 1933, No. 363, § 5; Sp. Laws 1933, No. 456, § 2. Historical Editor's Note: For salary of City Clerk, see § 1-233; for salary of Selectmen, see § 1-215).