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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014-08-25 ad Hoc Charter Review Committee Minutes�orq O� ai Town of Reading 1�, ,,�e� Meeting Minutes a: ueoxvoP�te' Board - Committee - Commission - Council: (N CLEEIVEO RK ADIHG. MASS. Ad Hoc Charter Review Committee iJ14 DEC 10 P $ 01 Date: 2014 -08 -25 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: Alan Foulds Precinct 3: Margret Russell Precinct 4: Glen Hartzler, Richard Coco Precinct 5: Phil Pacino, Phil Rushworth, Janice Jones Precinct 7: John Segalla, Carolyn Whiting, John Carpenter, Jeff Struble Precinct 8: Bill Brown Members - Not Present: Precinct 2: Steve Crook Others Present: Reading Town Manager: Robert La Lacheur, Jr. 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 August 11, 2014 were read and approved, with member Richard Coco abstaining since he was not present at that meeting. The Chairman reviewed a schedule of dates in order to present to Reading voters at the April, 2015 Town Election, the proposed revisions to the Reading Home Rule Charter, for their approval. To reach this goal, the Chairman proposed a Special Town Meeting be convened on January 15, 2015 at which time the Reading Charter Review Committee would make a formal presentation of the proposed changes to the Reading Home Rule Charter to that body, for its approval. This date would allow sufficient time for the 90 days required for the certification of the TM vote by the Massachusetts Attorney General, to allow the question to be on the April town election ballot. To meet this schedule the Chairman suggested that the Committee begin meeting weekly starting with our next meeting on September 15 with the goal of completing our deliberation by the end of October, 2014. This would allow for a public meeting of the proposed changes in November, 2014. Page 1 1 Member Phil Pacino reported responses to the questions posed to Reading Town Counsel by the Committee. Wording for what constitutes "Just Cause" - no changes from current wording was suggested. On Standing Committees, Special Committees and Advisory Sub- Committees no language is required in the Charter. Member Glen Hartzer submitted a proposed language to Article 5 -4 on Removal Procedures for the Town Manager position. Following some discussion, a draft paragraph outlining Suspension and Removal Procedures will be submitted to the Committee for discussion, revision and adoption by Glen. Further, Reading Town Counsel will also be requested to provide guidance to the Committee on how the Removal and Suspension section should be structured. The Committee next reviewed an extensive list of recommendations made to the Committee by the Town Manager. These had been provided at an earlier meeting. The results of the review and discussions of these recommendations are: Article 8 -7(d) - Local News Outlet define: a local news outlet shall mean a media outlet of general public access within the Town of Reading. A Motion by John Pacino /second by Peg Russell to adopt this passed Article unanimously. It was also notes that in other locations within the Charter, to word "newspaper" must the replaced by "local new outlet ". This change was made because of the use of multi -media methods now used to communicate. Article 8 -10(a) - Meetings - request Town Counsel for "best practice" language for this section. Does the Article need to differentiate between elected and appointed boards? On the question of "remote locations" for meeting of Boards and Committees John Pacino second by Phil Rushworth proposed a change to the wording "within the Town" to "In accordance with the Open meeting Statute ". This motion passed unanimously. Article 8 -12 - Filling vacancies - No change was made. Article 3 -6 Board of Assessors - The Committee was supportive of the proposal to have the Board of Assessors appointed rather than elected, as Is now the case. Members of the current Board of Assessors support this change. The reason - to make certain that qualified individuals serve on this Board because of the special nature of its duties and responsibilities. A motion to adopt this change passed unanimously. A motion by Phil Pacino, second by Bill Brown was made to move Article 3 -6 to Article 4 -2 and renumber the sections of Articles 3 and 4. This motion passed unanimously. Motion by Phil Pacino, second by Bill Brown to add language to Article 5 -2 to have the Town Manager appoint the Town Assessor subject to confirmation by the Board of Assessors passed unanimously. The committee discussed Article 6 and whether to expand the section to define the duties and provisions of the several town officers. It was ultimately decided to defer action on this Article to a future meeting. The Town Manager request that the Charter Section 7 -3 better define the time a budget must be submitted to his office by the School Committee replacing "sufficient time" with "at least five (5) months before the start of the next Fiscal Year ". Motion made by Phil Pacino second by Glen Hartzler to approve this change passed unanimously. Page 1 2 A motion was made by Phil Pacino, second by Bill Brown to delete the term "in excess of $500.00" from Article 7 -6(d). The change was requested by the Town Manager. The motion passed unanimously. Committee discussion of a proposal submitted by Glen Hartzler for revisions to Article 6 -1, organization of Departments, Agencies and Offices was postponed until the next meeting. The Town Manager requested a date when the Committee would plan meet with Town Counsel to review and discuss all of the proposed revisions to the Charter prior to any public meeting. The next meeting of the Charter Review Committee will be on Monday 9/15/14 at 7:30pm and the committee will meet every Monday thereafter. On a motion by Bill Brown, second by John Segalla, the committee voted to adjourn at 9:37pm. Page 1 3