No preview available
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2013-09-16 ad Hoc Charter Review Committee Minutes Town of Reading Meeting Minutes Board - Committee - Commission - Council: ad Hoc Charter Review Committee Date: 2013-09-16 Time: 7:30 PM Building: Reading Town Hall Location: Conference Room Address: 16 Lowell Street Purpose: Review Reading Town Charter Session: General Session Attendees: Members - Present: Bill Brown: Precinct 8 Richard Coco: Precinct 4 Alan Foulds: Town Meeting Moderator Phil Rushworth: Precinct 5 John Segalla: Precinct 7 Jeff Struble: Precinct 7 Paul Sylvester: Precinct 3 Carolyn Whiting: Precinct 7 David Mancuso: Precinct 4 Glen Hartzler: Precinct 4 Margaret Russell: Precinct 3 Phil Pacino: Precinct 5 Janice Jones: Precinct 5 John Carpenter: Precinct 7 Members - Not Present: Steve Crook: Precinct 2 Others Present: Laura Gemme: Town Clerk Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Richard Coco Topics of Discussion: Meeting was called to order at 7:05 pm by Reading Town Meeting Moderator and Chairman Alan Foulds. Members of the Committee took the oath of office, administered by the Reading Town Clerk, after which each member signed the register. The Charter Review Committee was formed by the instructional motion by Bill Brown, Precinct 8 and approved by Town Meeting vote: Move that a "Home Rule Petition" committee be formed to review the Town of Reading Home Rule Charter, said committee shall have one Town Meeting member from each Precinct to be appointed by the Moderator and the Moderator who shall serve as the chair. Said committee shall report its findings and recommendations to the annual Town Meeting of 2014 or may be extended to the fall Town Meeting of November 2014 by a majority vote of Town meeting, The purpose of the Committee, as outlined by the Moderator, is to review the existing Reading Home Rule Charter, recommend any proposed changes to Town Meeting by either Page 1 1 April or November, 2014. Town Meeting deliberates and votes to approve any of the proposed changes (require a 2/3 vote), at which point the proposed changes then go to the voters of Reading for final approval. A letter outlining the propose changes must be sent to each registered Reading voter before the election and the election must be scheduled no later than 90 days following a TM vote. The voting timetable will be confirmed by the Town Clerk. Mass Statute Chapter 43 codifies the Home Rule Charter review process. Town Counsel will be asked to review any proposed changes before presentation to Town Meeting. The committee was advises that copies of the current Charter are available on the Town of Reading web site. It was also suggested that the review also include past revisions to the Charter. Meeting Schedule: Following a discussion by the members of the committee the following meeting dates were chosen as well as the order in which the Home Rule Charter Sections would be reviewed at these meeting. Meeting start time was set at 7:30 pm. All meeting will take place in the meeting room at the Reading Town Hall and subject to Open Meeting Laws. Monday October 7, 2013 — Review and discuss Sections 1, 2 and 3. Monday October 21, 2013 - Review and discuss Sections 4 and 5. Monday November 4, 2013 — Review and discuss Sections 6 and 7. Monday November 18, 2013 — Review and discuss Sections 8 and 9. Bill Brown then handed out list of "Suggested Charter changes and why" for future discussions by the committee. Members of the committee were reminded that the committee's deliberations are subject to the Open Meeting Statutes of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The law also covers includes e-mail messages which are a public record. E-mails can be used to exchange information between committee members but not for DELIBERATIONS. Meeting adjourned at 7:50 pm. Page 1 2