HomeMy WebLinkAbout2004-04-07 ad Hoc Charter Review Committee MinutesAd Hoc Charter Review Committee Meeting
April 7, 2004
The meeting convened at 7:50 p.m. in the Town Hall Conference Room, 16 Lowell Street,
Reading, Massachusetts. Present were Chairman George Hines, Bill Brown, Maria Silvaggi,
Glen Hartzler, Gary Brackett from Brackett and Lucas and Peter Hechenbleikner.
Minutes were not available to be approved a draft was available to guide the committee in
their discussion.
The Town Manager reviewed some proposed amendments to Article 6, Section 6.1.6.2 and 6.3
dealing with the issue of Administrative Code. He gave the committee a mark up and hard copy
for their review. It maintains the ability of Town Meeting to approve or disapprove the
Administrative Code but not to change it. It provides for the Administrative Code to either be
adopted by Bylaw or by a Table of Organization. Town Counsel will review proposed language
as will the remainder of the committee.
The Committee picked up where it left off with Section 6. On April 22nd, we will inform all
parties and discuss the issue of building maintenance. The Town Manager will contact the Town
Administrator in Wakefield and get a copy of the portion of the Charter that addresses building
maintenance and custodial maintenance in our new Charter. The Town Manager suggested that
an alternative to putting the building maintenance function under the Town Manager or under the
Superintendent of Schools by Charter would be to leave it flexible but require that funds voted
for building maintenance could be spent only for that purpose unless otherwise approved by
Town Meeting.
Article 7 - There was discussion of submission of the School Committee Budget. The Town
Manager noted that this year, the School Committee Budget was given to him on February 17,
2004 when he had promised the Finance Committee the Budget on February 17th. Therefore,
there was not much time for communication on the Budget. A suggestion was made that in
Section 7-3, the first sentence could be changed to require the submission of the School
Committee Budget to the Town Manager not less than 30 days before the Town Manager needs
to submit the Budget to the Finance Committee; i.e., the Town Manager would have the Budget
no later than February 1 st from the School Committee. There was also discussion on whether or
not the Town Manager had to incorporate the School Department Budget as voted by the School
Committee as his recommended School Budget. The Town Manager noted that there was a
memo from previous Town Counsel on this matter, and Town Counsel has asked for a copy of
that. There was no other discussion regarding Article 7.
Article 8 - There was a suggestion that we could include in Article 8 a definition of ex-officio
and Bill Brown submitted proposed language. The Town Manager noted that the definition
should be done alphabetically and they are not done that way currently. There was also
discussion as to whether or not the definitions should include a definition of inhabitant or
resident.
Charter Review Committee Meeting - April 7, 2004 - Page 2
There was discussion on Section 8.10 Multiple Member Bodies. Town Counsel suggested that
8.10c should have a sentence added saying "a majority vote is required for all activities except
for adjournment." The majority vote is defined previously in Section 8.
There was continued discussion on whether less than a quorum of a multiple member body could
continue to meet and discuss matters. Town Counsel felt that legally they could continue to meet
as long as they did not deliberate and vote, but others raised the concern that those deliberation
could be perceived to be discussion outside the public meeting law. The Committee members
present agreed to come back to 8.1Od when the full membership of the Ad Hoc Charter Review
Committee was present.
Bill Brown suggested that 8.1Ob should reference Roberts Rules of Order. The consensus was
that it should not.
Paragraph 8-11 - There was a suggestion that placement on the ballot should be by lottery. The
Town Manager will check with the Town Clerk on what regulations may exist with regard to that
matter.
George Hines indicated that incumbent office holders have an advantage in running for elected
office, and he'd like to see some requirement they declare whether or not they are planning on
running for re-election by a date certain so that others who might be interested in running could
consider whether or not they would run.
- The hour being late, the Charter Review Committee voted on motion by Silvaggi seconded by
Brown to adjourn their meeting of April 7, 2004 at 9:20 p.m. by a vote of 4-0-0. The next
meeting will be April 22, 2004.
Respectfully submitted,
Secretary