Location: School Department Building
Attendees:
Absent:
Mr. Nebenzahl called the meeting to order at 7:15 PM.
Open Forum was held. No comments were received.
Minutes approval was deferred to a subsequent meeting.
Discussion:
Mr. Nebenzahl recognized guest Mr. Tom Groux, principal with Groux and Associates, a consulting group based in Chatham, Massachusetts.
Mr. Groux stated that he has had a career in municipal government. He received a degree in political science from Fordham. His career has included jobs working for county government in New Jersey, as an assistant and acting city manager in Yonkers, New York and as Town Manager in Winchester, Duxbury and Chatham, Massachusetts. He is now a full-time consultant specializing in town charters and executive recruitment.
Mr. Groux passed out handouts regarding different forms of government. He indicated that some towns create charters to consolidate the decision making process. Another reason is to make hiring practices consistent. He also noted that charters typically define the term of an administrator and how they can be removed.
He also described characteristics of Town Councils. He noted they can be of various sizes, that budget review is typically performed by a subcommittee of the Council and that there could still exist Finance Committees to assist the Council.
Mr. Groux indicated that charters shouldn’t be too specific. He suggesting keeping the charter brief and it should define who is responsible for which tasks. The charter should also define who is responsible for long term planning as well as capital planning. They typically have separate sections for the legislative and executive bodies. By-law review is typically done in the first year after a charter is adopted.
He noted that two good examples of charters are for the towns of Bourne and Longmeadow. The charter for Winchester was written by Mike Curran and is considered an example for others.
Provision on amendments need to be included in the charter. A transition clause indicating by-laws are superseded needs to be included.
He suggested that Boards of Health and Assessor should be appointed. Planning Boards should be elected. Policy setters are typically elected.
Mr. Groux advised that it is necessary to keep the public informed along the way. The Charter Commission should solicit outreach and report on its activities. It is critical to let the public know what is being replaced. Once the charter is created, it is best to gain consensus.
As a first step, Mr. Groux indicated it is advisable to decide on the legislative structure before defining the rest of the charter. It would be helpful to request input from the Town to understand the moods and preferences.
As a consultant, Mr. Groux prefers to sit at each Charter Commission meeting. He would draft sections of the charter before subsequent Charter Commission meetings. He could either work with his own counsel or work with Sharon’s Town Counsel. He prefers fixed price engagements and it would typically not exceed $10,000 plus expenses.
Other Business:
It was requested that “significant decisions” should be sent to Mr. Izzo this week.
Discussion on Mr. Gould’s letter to the Commission followed. The questions that could be considered personally were noted and tracked by Mr. Nebenzahl for circulation to the Commission.
It was also discussed that submissions to the Advocate would be helpful, similar to the Finance Committee’s “It’s Your Money” columns. Ms. Marsters volunteered to put together Mr. Gould’s questions for one article.
Adjournment:
The members voted 7-0 to adjourn the meeting at 9:30 on a motion by Ms. Marsters, seconded by Mr. Pietal.
Minutes submitted by:
Paul Pietal