[Amended 11-2-2010; 11-8-2022]
The Town Council shall have seven (7) members, one (1) to be
elected from, and by the electors of each of the five (5) districts
of the town, for a term of two (2) years, or until their individual
successors are elected and qualified, and two to be elected at large
by all of the electors of the town.
At the general election to be held in November 2024, the at
large candidate receiving the highest number of votes shall be elected
to a four-year term and the one receiving the second highest number
of votes shall be elected to an initial two-year term. Thereafter,
each at large council member shall be elected to a four year term,
so that the terms of the at large members of the town council will
be staggered, provided however that if voters approve reducing the
terms of the five (5) district council members to two years in the
2022 election, then the at large members shall enjoy only two year
terms, and thereafter the two at large candidates receiving the first
and second highest number of votes shall be elected at large council
members every two years.
All members of the Town Council shall enjoy a two-year term.
District(s) 1 and 4 shall finish the remainder of the four year term
to which they were elected in 2022 so that at the general election
in November 2024, Districts 2, 3, 5 shall be placed on the ballot,
along with the at large candidates, for two year terms. In each general
election thereafter all council seats shall be for a two-year term.
The term of a Council member shall begin at the first meeting
of the Town Council to be held on the first Monday after the issuance
of a certificate of election.
A member of the Town Council shall hold no other public office or employment in the service of the Town of Coventry, the State of Rhode Island, or the government of the United States, except as provided in section 15.01(f).
A member of the Town Council shall not be eligible for appointment
to any paid office in the town during the term for which the member
was elected to the Town Council.
A Council member shall forfeit office if the member (1) lacks,
at any time during the term of office, any qualifications for the
office prescribed by this Charter, or by law; (2) violates any express
provision of this Charter; or (3) is convicted of a crime involving
moral turpitude.
The office of Council member shall become vacant upon the Council
member's death, a resignation in writing filed with the Town Clerk,
a removal from office in any manner authorized by law, or a forfeiture
of office. The vacancy shall be filled by a qualified elector from
the same district.
[Amended 11-4-2014; 11-8-2022]
If a vacancy shall occur in the Town Council the remaining members
of the Town Council shall within forty-five (45) calendar days fill
the vacancy. The vacancy shall be advertised in one or more forms
of media, accessible to the general public, seeking applicants to
fill the vacant position and no person shall be considered for appointment
until at least seven (7) days from date of advertisement has passed.
The person appointed shall serve until the term expires or is filled
by a special election, whichever occurs first:
1.
If the vacancy occurs within twelve (12) months from the end of the
elected term, no special election will be held.
2.
If the vacancy occurs with more than twelve (12) months remaining
in the elected term but within twelve (12) months of the next State
of Rhode Island General Election, the unexpired term will be filled
by a special election held concurrent with the next State of Rhode
Island General Election.
3.
If the vacancy occurs with more than twelve (12) months remaining
in the elected term and more than twelve (12) months before the next
State of Rhode Island General Election, a special election shall be
called by the Town Clerk in the manner prescribed by law to fill such
vacancy.
4.
If a vacancy occurs in the timeframe of subsection 2 but outside
the time requirements for having the said special election occur concurrent
to the next State of Rhode Island General Election the vacancy shall
be filled in such manner as if it had occurred under subsection 3.
5.
In all cases the vacancy shall be filled by a qualified elector from
the same district.
The Town Council shall be the judge of the election and qualification
of its members, and of the grounds for forfeiture of the office. For
that purpose the Town Council shall have power to subpoena witnesses,
administer oaths, and require the production of evidence.
The Town Council shall elect from among its members a president
and a vice-president, each of whom shall serve at the pleasure of
the Town Council. The president shall preside at meetings of the Town
Council. The president shall have the right to speak and vote as any
other member. The vice-president shall act as president during the
absence or temporary disability of the president.
The Town Council shall be recognized as head of the town government
for all ceremonial purposes and by the R.I. Governor for purposes
of military law but shall have no administrative duties.
The president of the Town Council shall have the power and authority
(1) to declare a state of emergency in the event of a disaster, catastrophe,
other similar event, or imminent danger thereof which endangers the
public peace, health, safety, welfare, and the protection of property
of the inhabitants of the town and (2) to take such lawful action
as the president deems necessary.
The Council members shall each receive an initial annual salary
of $4,500; an additional allowance of $1,000 shall be paid to the
president of the Town Council for expenses.
The Town Council may, from time to time, fix the annual salary
of each Council member and of the president of the Town Council; provided,
however, that no such ordinance changing the salary of the Council
members, or of the president of the Town Council, shall become effective
during the current term of such Town Council. [Amended 6-13-2000]
[Amended 11-8-2022]
Four (4) members of the Town Council shall constitute a quorum,
but a smaller number may adjourn from time to time and may compel
the attendance of absent members in the manner and subject to penalties
prescribed by the rules of the Town Council. No action of the Town
Council, except as otherwise provided in the preceding sentence, shall
be valid or binding unless adopted by the affirmative vote of four
(4) or more members of the Town Council. Upon the request of any member
of the Town Council, a roll call vote shall be taken on any matter,
and the ayes and nays shall be recorded in the minutes of the meeting.
The Town Council shall meet regularly at least once in every
month, and may meet more often, at such times and places as the Town
Council may prescribe.
[11-8-2022]
Special meetings may be held at the call of the president, or,
in the absence of the president, at the call of the vice-president,
or at the call of four (4) or more members. Notice of a special meeting
shall be delivered to each member or left for the member at the member's
home or place of business at least twelve (12) hours prior to the
time fixed for the special meeting. Any member may waive the requirement
of notice of a special meeting, and such waiver shall be entered in
the record of the proceedings of such special meeting. The purpose
of a special meeting shall be stated in the notice of the meeting,
and no business shall be transacted at any special meeting other than
that stated in the notice.
All powers of the town shall be vested in the Town Council,
except as otherwise provided by law or by the provisions of this Charter.
The Town Council shall provide for the exercise thereof and for the
performance of all duties and obligations imposed upon the town by
law.
The Town Council shall be vested with the power to adopt, amend,
and repeal ordinances for the preservation of the public peace, health,
safety, welfare, and for the protection of persons and property; and
with the power to provide for their enforcement by the enactment of
appropriate penalties for the violation thereof.
Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Town Council
shall have and shall exercise the following specific powers, subject
to the provisions of the constitution, and laws enacted by the General
Assembly in conformity with the powers reserved to the General Assembly.
The Town Council may enact, reenact, amend or repeal ordinances
and resolutions:
(a)
For zoning; a building code; a sanitation code; regulations for the
platting and subdividing of land; regulations concerning trailers
and mobile homes; and regulations concerning parking on town highways
and also on town property.
(b)
For the appropriation of money.
(c)
For the levy of taxes and assessments.
(d)
For the borrowing of money and the issuance of bonds, notes, or other
evidence of indebtedness.
(e)
For the purchase, sale, lease, or the acceptance of a gift or device,
of real or personal property located within or without the corporate
limits of the town; for ordinances concerning the holding, management,
control, sale, lease and conveyance of such property.
(f)
For the condemnation of land located within the town as permitted
by the laws of this state.
(g)
For the control and management of any fund which has been or, in
the future may be, given to the town by gift, bequest, or in any other
manner, in accordance with the terms of such gift as expressed by
the donor, including, but not limited to, the H. N. Waterman Fund
and the Isaac Fiske Fund.
(h)
For the control and management of funds which have been or may be
hereafter accepted by the town for the perpetual care of cemetery
lots specified in the acceptance.
(i)
For granting, suspending or revoking licenses and permits in accordance
with law.
(j)
For fixing the amount of official bonds of all officers of the town,
who in the opinion of the Town Council shall be bonded, the premium
of such bond to be paid by the town.
(k)
For the establishment and operation of a personnel classification
system, not inconsistent with any general or special act, or provision
of this Charter; and, in accordance therewith, fix the compensation
of the Town Manager, and fix the compensation and provide rules and
regulations with respect to the hours of employment and vacations
of all officers and employees of the town.
[Amended 11-2-2010]
(l)
For the establishment and operation of any department, office or
agency, in addition to those created by this Charter, which the Town
Council may, from time to time, deem necessary to provide the services
and functions not otherwise provided by the departments created herein.
This provision is not to apply to elected officials.
(m)
To appoint committees of the Town Council which may investigate and
report on any matter referred to it and make recommendations thereon.
No committee shall have any executive or legislative powers, and final
action on all matters shall be determined by the Town Council as a
whole.
(n)
The Town Council may make investigations into the affairs of the
town, and the conduct of any town department, office or agency. For
this purpose it may subpoena witnesses, administer oaths, take testimony
and require the production of evidence. The Town Council shall have
the power, by ordinance, to provide for the punishment of any person
who fails or refuses to obey a lawful order issued in the exercise
of the powers set forth in this section.
(o)
No collective bargaining agreement between the Town of Coventry,
including the School Committee, and any labor organization shall become
effective unless and until ratified by majority vote of the Coventry
Town Council.
[Added 11-2-2010]
[Amended 11-3-2020 by Res. No. 87-20-5205[1]]
The Town Council shall determine its own rules and order of
business.
In order to afford the greatest level of Public participation
in the business of the Town of Coventry, all Town Council meetings,
except those convened solely for Executive Session purposes, shall
have on the agenda, a provision and opportunity for Public Comment.
The Town Council may act by rule, resolution or ordinance. In
addition to the cases in which an ordinance is required by any specific
provision of this Charter or by any applicable law, any action creating
or abolishing any office or agency of the town government shall be
by ordinance only.
[1]
Editor's Note: This charter amendment was approved by a majority
of the qualified voters at an election held 11-3-2020.
[Amended 11-7-1978]
(a)
Introduction. Every proposed ordinance, including
an amendment to an existing ordinance, except an emergency ordinance,
shall be filed with the Town Clerk by a member of the Town Council,
not later than four (4) business days previous to the date of the
meeting at which it is to be introduced. A copy thereof shall be posted
by the Town Clerk in some conspicuous place in the town hall where
it shall be accessible for inspection by the public. The Town Clerk
shall forthwith provide each member of the Town Council with a copy
of the proposed ordinance.
(b)
First reading. Every proposed ordinance, other than
an emergency ordinance, shall be read a first time by title at the
meeting at which it is introduced and a summary shall be published
in one (1) or more newspapers of general circulation in the town and
in full on the town's official website and displayed in two (2) or
more locations in conspicuous fashion until such time as the Council
shall vote on the merits of such ordinance. No ordinance, except an
emergency ordinance, shall be adopted by the Town Council at the meeting
at which it is introduced but it shall be referred to the next subsequent
regular or special meeting.
[Amended 11-8-2016]
(c)
Mandatory public hearing. The Town Council, except
for an emergency ordinance, shall hold a public hearing on every proposed
ordinance after the proposed ordinance has been introduced and published
in summary in one (1) or more newspapers of general circulation in
the town and in full on the town's official website and displayed
in two (2) or more locations in conspicuous fashion until such time
as the Council shall vote on the merits of such ordinance. No action
shall be taken on the ordinance until the conclusion of the public
hearing. The Town Council, by majority vote, may amend or otherwise
act on the proposed ordinance at the public hearing.
[Amended 11-8-2016]
(d)
Ordinances in emergency. Enactments by the Town
Council dealing with an emergency or emergencies may be adopted on
the day of introduction, without a previous filing with the Town Clerk
or publication thereof. The enactments shall contain a declaration
of the existence of the emergency, and the declaration shall be conclusive
as to the existence of such emergency. The enactments shall take effect
upon passage. Such emergency ordinance shall be temporary and for
the period of the emergency only. The ordinance may authorize departments,
offices and agencies of the town government to act outside and beyond
the usual requirement of ordinances, resolutions, rules and regulations.
The Town Council may by resolution declare the emergency ended.
(e)
Enacting clause. The enacting clause of all ordinances
shall be, "The Town Council of the Town of Coventry hereby ordains:"
(f)
Recording. The Town Clerk shall record in full,
in a properly indexed book kept for the purpose, all ordinances adopted
by the Town Council.
(g)
Publication. Every ordinance which imposes a penalty
for the violation of its provisions shall be published in full by
the Town Clerk on the town's official website and displayed two (2)
or more locations in conspicuous fashion within one week of the adoption
of the ordinance, for a period of not less than 20 days.
[Amended 11-8-2016]
(h)
Codification. The Town Council shall, on or before
November 1, 1974, and within every ten (10) years thereafter, arrange
for the publication of all ordinances of general and permanent character
and may arrange for supplements to be issued from time to time.
The Town Council shall provide for an independent annual audit
of all town accounts by a certified public accountant or by the state
bureau of audits and may provide for such more frequent audits as
it deems necessary. The audit shall cover all books, accounts, and
other evidence of the financial transactions of the town. The audit
shall conform with generally accepted auditing standards, including
all procedures necessary for the auditors to express an informed opinion
of the financial condition of the town. A copy of the audit report
each year shall be filed with the Town Clerk and shall be a public
record.
