Manchester Charter Commission Recommendations Ready For Public Hearing

Manchester CT

25 April, 2022

1:25 PM

Description

MANCHESTER, CT — The Manchester Charter Revision Commission has scheduled a public hearing on its preliminary recommendations for May 4. The meeting is slated to take place at 7 p.m. in the Lincoln Center Hearing Room and via Zoom. The Board of Directors adopted a resolution establishing the Charter Revision Commission in April 2021, appointing its membership and identifying 13 specific charges for the Commission to examine. The Commission addressed each of the 13 charges and more than a dozen additional issues over the course of 18 meetings and five public hearings. The efforts resulted in a series of recommendations by the Charter Revision Commission that will be submitted to the Board of Directors as a draft report in May or early June. The Town Charter defines the form of government for the town and sets out the roles and responsibilities of most elected and appointed town officials. The Charter also codifies the basic framework for how government is conducted, such as the processes for adopting ordinances, the town budget and the identification and operation of the various departments of the town government. Members of the Commission are: Josh Howroyd (chairman), Dr. Maria Cruz (vice chair), Dr. Diane Clare-Kearney (secretary) and Cheri Eckbreth, Margaret Hackett, Kelly Lierzer, Jerald Lentini, Steven Norton, MD Rahman, Louis Spadaccini and Mark Tweedie. SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS The Manager/Council form of government is retained.Changes the title of the "General Manager" to "Town Manager."Maintains the current name of the Board of Directors in the Charter, rejecting a proposal to change the name to "Town Council."Continues the use of at-large voting for all municipal elections.Maintains current terms of office for the Board of Directors and Board of Education.Provides for the direct election of mayor. The mayor will remain a member of the Board of Directors and electors will also select the remaining eight members of the Board of Directors. However, the losing mayoral candidate shall have the votes he or she received for Mayor included in the compilation and the determination of Board of Directors membership. Minority representation requirements will still apply.Provides that in the event of the death or resignation of the Mayor of the Board of Directors, the Deputy Mayor shall become Mayor.Increases the compensation for the Board of Directors: Mayor - $7,500; Deputy Mayor, Secretary and Minority Leader - $6,000; members of the Board of Directors - $5,000 and such compensation shall be adjusted biennially, by the most recent Consumer Price Index. This would represent the first increase in compensation since 1996.Amends the Charter to provide that minority party vacancies on the Board of Directors and on appointed boards and commissions require that the nomination be made by member of the Board of Directors with the same political party affiliation as the vacating member.Eliminates the requirement for an annual Joint Board of Directors/Board of Education meeting.Clarifies the authority of the Board of Directors to establish Departments, Offices, Divisions and positions by ordinance or resolution.Provides the Board of Directors with the authority to establish by ordinance, additional standards of official conduct but maintains the current standards in the Town Charter.Eliminates residency requirements for the Superintendent of Schools, Chief of Police, Fire Chief, Director of Public Works, and the Superintendent of Water and Sewer Department.Increases the dollar thresholds for settlement of claims by the Town Attorney, the General Manager, and the Board of Directors.Increases the number of Justices of the Peace to 45.Recommends that the Town Clerk remain an elected position.Specifies that the Board of Directors establish the Town Clerk's salary for the coming term not later than July 1st of the year of a Town Clerk election.Conforms the Charter with the provisions the Town Code of Ordinances to specify four-year terms for the Town Clerk and Registrar of Voters.Makes numerous technical and administrative revisions to various sections of the Town Charter, including: adopting the use of gender-neutral pronouns and official titles throughout the Charter; amending the terminology in the Human Services section of the Charter; and, adding clarity to the budget timetable in the Charter.Removes the following boards and commissions that are advisory in nature from the Town Charter and permits the Board of Directors to establish those bodies by resolution or ordinance instead: 1) Library Board; 2) Advisory Recreation and Park Commission; and 3) the Advisory Board of Health.Increases the membership of the Planning and Zoning Commission to 9 members.Requires appointing authorities for any Board or Commission consider the interests of gender identity and racial equity and make a good faith effort to seek out individuals for such appointment that reflect such equity.Recommends that the General Manager and town staff develop training for members of Boards and Commissions and create a handbook for newly appointed members.Recommends that the Board of Directors consider the establishment of a Commission to study whether the official name of the "Town of Manchester" should be changed to the "City of Manchester."Rejected proposals to amend the Charter regarding the powers of the Board of Directors concerning: investigatory powers; the ability to directly question department heads and initiate reports outside of the General Manager; and, the ability to draft proposals absent the direction of the General Manager.Rejected a proposal to allow voters to vote for the total number of positions to be elected. Here's a link to the full text of the Preliminary Draft Report - http://bod.townofmanchester.org/index.cfm/charter-revision-commission/preliminary-report/ NEXT STEPS IN THE PROCESS Following the public hearing, the Charter Revision Commission will finalize recommendations to be included in a draft report to be submitted to the Board of Directors (through the Town Clerk) no later than July 6, 2022.After receiving the Commission's Draft Report, the Board of Directors must hold at least one public hearing. The last public hearing must be no later than forty-five (45) days from the date the Town Clerk received the Commission's Draft Report.The Board of Directors has until the 15th day following its last public hearing to recommend changes to the Commission. If no changes are recommended, the Commission's Draft Report becomes final after 15 days..If the Board of Directors recommends changes in the Commission's Draft Report within the fifteen (15) day period, the Commission has thirty (30) days after the Board of Directors' recommendation, to act on said recommendations.Within fifteen (15) days following receipt of the Final Report, the Board of Directors, by a majority vote of the entire Board of Directors, may accept the Final Report, reject the Final Report, or reject separate provisions. If the Board of Directors accepts the Final Report, the proposed charter revisions must be submitted to the voters at a general or special election within fifteen (15) months of the Board of Directors' acceptance.