HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014-05-12 ad Hoc Charter Review Committee MinutesOF JR?
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Town of Reading
Meeting Minutes
Board - Committee - Commission - Council:
Ad Hoc Charter Review Committee
Date: 2014 -05 -12
Building: Reading Town Hall
Address: 16 Lowell Street
Purpose: Review Reading Town Charter
Attendees: Members - Present:
Time: 7:30 PM
Location: Conference Room
Session: General Session
Precinct 2: Steve Crook, Alan Foulds
Precinct 3: Paul Sylvester
Precinct 4: Glen Hartzel, Richard Coco
Precinct 5: Phil Pacino, Janice Jones
Precinct 7: John Segalla, Jeff Struble
Precinct 8: Bill Brown
Members - Not Present:
Precinct 3: Peg Russell
Precinct 4: David Mancusco
Precinct 5: Phil Rushworth
Precinct 7: Carolyn Whiting, John Carpenter
Others Present:
Town Clerk: Laura Gemme
Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Richard Coco, Clerk
Topics of Discussion:
- RECEIVED
TOWN CLERK
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The meeting was called to order by the Chair, Town Meeting Moderator Alan Foulds at 7:30
pm who announced that David Mancusco had resigned from the committee due to a conflict
with other commitments.
The Town Clerk noted that all proposed revisions to the Town Charter are posted on the
Town Of Reading web page under Charter with changes indicated in red.
There was a brief discussion again of reducing the number of Town Meeting members. This
was brought on by the low attendance level (approximately 140 out of 192 members) at the
Town Meetings this past April. The Town Clerk noted that the Massachusetts State
Constitution requires that a revision to the Reading Charter is the only way to reduce the
number of TM members.
There was also a brief discussion of what constitutes a Sub - Committee and an Ad Hoc
Committee as related to requiring an Oath of Office to be taken by members of either
committee. Typically a Sub - Committee is made up of members of an existing Committee
where members of an Ad Hoc Committee can be made up of members not serving on an
existing Committee. Thus the former would not be required to take an Oath of Office while
the latter would need to be sworn in before serving on an Ad Hoc Committee.
There was a brief discussion on the comments from Finance Committee as follows:
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Finance Committee would like to recommend to the Charter Committee that FINCOM term
limits be preserved as three terms x three years each, with the exception that an initial
term of any length less than three full years not count in the term limit calculation.
It was decided to stand by the previous vote.
It was also suggested that the Committee add language under Article 8 defining the
membership of a Sub Committee and an Ad Hoc Committee.
There was a discussion of the time limits for submitting Referendum questions as defined in
Section 2 -15 of the Charter. Section 8 -5 defines how time is defined and calculated in the
Charter. The question will be revisited at a future meeting.
On a motion by John Segalla, second by Bill Brown the minutes of the March 13, 2014 were
approved 8 -0 -2, the two abstentions by members (Coco /Pacino) who were not present at
the last meeting.
Committee member Bill Brown submitted a proposal for consideration by the Committee to
move the definition of the duties of the Town Accountant and Town Counsel to Article 4 -12
and -13 from currently in Articles 6 -4, -5. Members of the committee suggested waiting to
consider this change until Article 6 is discussed.
Further actions of the Charter review Committee include the following:
5 -2 Powers and Duties (of the Town Manager)
Motion to add "or his designee" after "He" in the last sentence. Voted unanimously.
Motion to reorder Article 5 -4 Acting Town Manager (becomes 5 -5) and 5 -5 Removal
Procedures (becomes 5 -4) to make the flow of these Article 5 sub - sections more natural in
sequence. Voted unanimously.
Motion made to change under renumbered Article 5- 5(a,b,d) "work day" to "business day"
in three locations within this article; and delete "Town officer or employee" and add
"individual" in the first sentence of Article 5 -5c. Voted unanimously.
Motion under Article 5 -5(d) add a new sentence - "The Board of Selectman by a four - fifths
(4/5) votes may grant him greater powers ". Voted unanimously.
The Charter Review Committee next moved on to review Article 6.
ARTICLE 6 -1
Motion to change the wording of this section from "Creation" to "Organization" of
Departments and Offices" in the heading to this section; and delete "both as provided in this
section" after "Table of Organization."
Motion to capitalize the words "Administrative Code" in Article 6 -1(b) and Bylaw throughout
this Article.
Both motions passed unanimously.
Before a motion to adjourn was made, the Chairman set the next meeting date for Monday,
June 2, 2014 at 7:30pm. There was also a brief discussion on the timetable to report to
Town Meeting with the Charter Review Committees recommendations. The goal is to
complete, if possible, deliberations by mid - September 2014 and report to Fall Town Meeting
in November 2014.
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A motion was then made to adjourn which passed unanimously. Time of Adjournment
9:22pm
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