HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014-07-14 ad Hoc Charter Review Committee MinutesTown of Reading
Meeting Minutes
1tECEIVED
I OWN CLERK
Board - Committee - Commission - Council: -
A0iNG. MASS.
Ad Hoc Charter Review Committee IN DEC 10 P W •6'
Date: 2014 -07 -14 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:
Precinct 2:
Steve Crook, Alan Foulds
Precinct 3:
Paul Sylvester, Peg Russell
Precinct 4:
Glen Hartzler, Richard Coco
Precinct 5:
Phil Pacino,
Precinct 7:
John Segalla, Carolyn Whiting, John Carpenter
Precinct 8:
Bill Brown
Members - Not Present:
Precinct 7: Jeff Struble
Precinct 5: Phil Rushworth, Janice Jones
Others Present:
Town Clerk: Laura Gemme
Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Richard Coco, Clerk
Topics of Discussion:
The meeting was called to order by the Chair, Town Meeting Moderator Alan Foulds at
7:30pm.
The minutes of the December 16, 2013 meeting were read and approved unanimously.
The minutes of the previous June 30, 2014 meeting were next reviewed and approved
unanimously as amended. Corrections included that Member Paul Sylvester, listed as
present, was absent from that meeting and to clarify that Town Counsel was asked if a
definition of "Cause" for dismissal should be added to the Charter.
Member Glen Hartzler next presented to the committee a list of proposed changes and
corrections based on his review of the Reading Charter.
A motion by Glen Hartzler second by Phil Pacino to revise the wording from "this Charter" to
"the Charter" wherever it appear in the Charter passed unanimously
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A motion by Glen Hartzler, second by Peg Russell to remove the phrase "subsequent to the
adoption of the Charter" in Article 8 -8 was approved unanimously by the Committee.
To be consistent with wording in Reading Bylaws, Glen Hartzler made a motion, seconded
by Phil Pacino, to add "MGL" in the heading to Article 8 -4 and following the word
"Massachusetts" in the text of this article. The motion also added a definition of
Massachusetts General Laws (MGL) to Article 8 -7. The motion passed unanimously.
Following this vote the Town Clerk was asked to review the entire Charter and add "MGL"
after "General Laws of Massachusetts" wherever it appears in the document.
The document presented to the Committee by Glen Hartzler, also included a list of changes
which would improve wording within the Charter. For example, "Selectmen" would be
replaced by "Board of Selectmen "; "Library Trustees" replaced by "Board of Library
Trustees ", etc. On a motion by Bill Brown, second by Phil Pacino, the Committee voted
unanimously to approve these changes.
Member Phil Pacino informally presented to the Committee comments made by the Reading
Municipal Light Board (RMLD) legal counsel based on his review of the Charter Articles
which apply to the RMLD. He also noted that the RMLD Board has yet to take an official
position on these comments. He also presented to the Committee a rough draft of a
proposed Article 3 -5 Municipal Light Board of Commissioners for information only.
Prior to taking up changes proposed by member Glen Hartzler to Article 5 Town Manager,
Town Clerk Laura Gemme noted that this section is currently under review by Town of
Reading Counsel and suggest the Committee delay any action until that review has been
completed. This suggestion was accepted.
Several changes to Articles 6 -5, 7 -3, 8 -1 and 8 -13 to improve sentence structure and
readability were unanimously approved by the Committee.
The Town Clerk listed the questions the Committee has asked Town Counsel to review and
provide comment: These include: definitions of Advisory Committee, Standing Committee,
and Acting Committee; Acting Town Manager language proposed by Member Bill Brown and
should language defining "cause" be included in the Charter.
Before adjournment, a general discussion on a possible timetable for bringing the proposed
Reading Charter revisions to Town Meeting and ultimately to the Reading voters took place.
The Town Clerk outlined the required cut -off date of January, 31st in order to allow any
Article to be placed on the ballot for voter approval at the April 2015 Town Election. In light
of this time constraint, the Chairman Alan Foulds suggested a Special Town meeting
considered to be convened in January, 2015 at which time the revised Reading Town
Charter would be presented to Town Meeting for Its approval. This would allow the question
to then go the voters in the April 2015 Town election for their approval.
The next scheduled meeting of the Committee was set for July 28, 2014.
On a motion by Phil Pacino, second by Bill Brown the committee unanimously voted to
adjourn at 9:SSpm.
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