The organization of the Town for the provision of services and administration of the government shall be in accordance with a Table of Organization published annually in the Town Report. The Table of Organization may be amended by either of the methods provided in this Article.
(a)
Bylaws – Except as otherwise provided by the Massachusetts General Laws or by this Charter, the Town Meeting may, by Town Bylaw, reorganize, consolidate, create, merge, divide or abolish any Town Department, board or committee, or office, in whole or in part; establish new Town Departments, boards or committees, or offices as it deems necessary or advisable, and determine the manner of selection, the terms of office and the functions of all such Town Departments, boards or committees, or offices; provided however, that no function assigned to a particular Town Department, board or committee, or office by this Charter may be discontinued or assigned to any other Town Department, board or committee, or office.
(b)
Administrative Order – The Town Manager may, from time to time, prepare as an administrative order, a plan of organization or reorganization of Town Departments, boards or committees, or officers over which the Town Manager has control, as the Town Manager deems necessary or advisable for the orderly, efficient and convenient conduct of Town business. The administrative order may:
1.
Consolidate, create, merge, divide or abolish, in whole or part, any Town Department, board or committee, or office over which the Town Manager has control.
2.
Establish new Town Departments, boards or committees, or offices.
3.
Prescribe the functions and administrative procedures to be followed by all such Departments, boards or committees, or offices, and transfer the appropriations of one Town Department, board or committee, or office to another insofar as such transfer is not inconsistent with the use for which the funds were appropriated; provided, however, that no function assigned by this Charter to a particular Town Department, board or committee, or office may be discontinued or assigned to another Town Department, board or committee, or office.
The Town Manager shall submit such administrative orders to the Select Board. The Select Board shall conduct at least one (1) public hearing on each such administrative order within thirty (30) days of receipt, giving notice by publication in a local news medium, which notice shall describe the scope of the proposal and the time and place at which the public hearing will be held.
Following the public hearing, the proposal, which may be amended following the public hearing, shall be subject to final review by the Select Board.
An administrative order submitted by the Town Manager shall become effective at the expiration of sixty (60) days following the date of its first submission to the Select Board unless the Select Board by an affirmative vote of at least three (3) members has sooner approved, amended or disapproved it.