[HISTORY: Adopted by the Representative Town Meeting of the Town of Branford 1-16-1974. Amendments noted where applicable.]
Pursuant to the Inland Wetlands and Water Courses Act of the State of Connecticut, No. 155 of the Public Acts of 1972, as amended (hereinafter the "Act"),[1] there is hereby established in the Town of Branford the Branford Inland Wetlands Commission (hereinafter the "Commission").
[1]
Editor's Note: See Section 22a-36 et seq. of the Connecticut General Statutes, Revision of 1958.
[Amended 6-14-1978; 9-9-1981; 11-13-1996; 6-10-1998]
The Commission shall consist of seven regular members and three alternates. The 10 members shall be electors of the Town. All seven regular members and three alternate members shall be appointed by the Board of Selectmen and shall serve for terms of three years; provided, however, that in order to stagger the terms of membership, of the regular members to be appointed or reappointed for terms commencing June 1, 1998, three members shall be appointed to terms of three years; two members shall be appointed to terms of two years; two members shall be appointed to terms of one year; and, of the alternate members to be appointed or reappointed for terms commencing June 1, 1998, one alternate member shall be appointed to a term of one year; one alternate member shall be appointed to a term of two years; and one alternate member shall be appointed to a term of three years. Appointments shall become effective and terms shall commence on June 1. Members of the Commission shall serve without compensation but shall be entitled to reimbursement for necessary expenses incurred in the performance of official duties.
The Board of Selectmen shall not remove a member of the Commission except for good cause and, upon request of such member, only after public hearing. Failure to attend four consecutive meetings of the Commission shall constitute good cause for removal.
[Amended 11-13-1996]
Any vacancy in the membership of the Commission which may result from the death, resignation or removal of a member or from any other cause shall be filled for the unexpired term of such member by the Board of Selectmen.
A. 
The Commission shall promulgate as promptly as possible but in any event on or before June 30, 1974, such regulations as are necessary to:
(1) 
Provide for the manner in which the boundaries of the inland wetland areas in the Town of Branford shall be established and amended or changed; and
(2) 
Protect the inland wetlands and watercourses within the territorial limits of the Town.
B. 
Said regulations shall be in conformity with the Act and with said regulations promulgated pursuant to the Act by the Commissioner of Environmental Protection of the State of Connecticut. The Commission shall have all of the powers and be subject to all of the duties as may be conferred or imposed by a municipality upon its duly authorized inland wetlands agency pursuant to the Act, including all incidental powers necessary to enforce rules and regulations and to carry out the purposes of the Act.
Whenever the Commission shall establish an inland wetland area or watercourse as provided by the Act and this chapter, a notice of such establishment shall be furnished to the Tax Assessor of the Town, who shall, within 90 days of receipt of such notice, revalue or reassess the property concerned to reflect the impact, if any, of such action upon its value, in the light of the guidelines set forth in Section 3 of Public Act No. 155, 1972, as amended in Public Act No. 571, 1973, and shall notify the owner or owners of such property as to the result of such revaluation or reassessment. Such revaluation or reassessment shall become effective on the first day of the next succeeding assessment year for said municipality.