1. Charter Revision - Status Charter Review Advisory Committee has made recommendations Different options exist for presentation to voters at Town Meeting, if Board chooses to present same Scope of revisions Overview of revisions for potential consideration at November Special Town Meeting

2. Charter Review Advisory Committee Procedure –Met with all elected boards, most appointed boards, and key staff –Held two public hearings approximately a year apart –Met over 25 times to discuss current form of governance, best practices, and possible changes to structure Recommendations –Characterized by Committee, in large part, as clarifications of current form of governance, stressing current form is structurally sound Categories –(1) ministerial, clerical, non-substantive; –(2) “minor” substantive revisions; and, –(3) “major” substantive revisions

3. Options for Board’s Action Board of Selectmen may recommend any or all proposed revisions appear on warrant at November Special Town Meeting, or at a future meeting, or take no action on any or all recommendations Revisions may be presented as a package, or broken down in any logical manner Revisions may be presented to Town Meeting under either the “Home Rule Procedures Act” (G.L. c.43B), or through a Home Rule Petition (special legislation), or both; note, however, that each process requires different procedures at and following Town Meeting

4. Tonight’s Presentation Remainder of presentation will include: –Overview of categories of ministerial, clerical revisions –Overview of 16 “minor” substantive revisions –Overview of eight “major” substantive revisions While the revisions are presented for ease of consideration in the above-referenced categories, ultimately, they are easier to understand when the document is read in its entirety – it is difficult to convey the inter-related nature of the revisions in a list or power point

5. Tonight’s Presentation During and/or following the overview, there may be possible votes on whether to present all or some of the revisions to Town Meeting If vote to present revisions to Town Meeting is taken, then a possible further vote on mechanism by which revisions will be presented to Town Meeting (statutory G.L. c.43B method, or one or more Home Rule petitions)

6. Ministerial, Clerical Revisions General Revisions - proposed throughout Charter to address, for example, capitalization and grammar, standardize references to various documents and officers (for example, refer to “by-laws” rather than “bylaws” Revisions to Make Charter Easier to Use – proposed amendments to specific sections, such as inserted headings and subsections, re-ordered existing provisions Revisions Related to State Law – proposed amendments to specific sections, including timing of action for filing nomination papers, updating of procedures concerning meeting notices and minutes Revisions to Reflect Current Practice – proposed to eliminate provisions no longer consistent with Town’s practice, such as streamlining Department of Finance section, reflecting current budget procedures

7. “Minor” Substantive Revisions There are 16 “minor” substantive revisions separately described in the slides that follow. Section references in the slides are to a draft of the Charter containing only ministerial, clerical revisions and the “minor” revisions described herein (in other words, the “major” substantive revisions have been backed out of the draft and will be considered separately)

8. “Minor” Substantive Revisions Website posting: – –Section 1-7(j) would define “bulletin boards” to include the Town’s website, resulting in requirement that matters required to be posted on bulletin boards must also be posted on website; contains a provision, however, that protects integrity of action taken if there is a failure to so post, unless posting is otherwise required by law – –Section 6-2(b) would contain a similar requirement that notices required to be posted on Town bulletin boards under the Open Meeting Law must also appear on the Town website, but that unless such posting is otherwise required by law, failure to so post will not invalidate the meeting

9. “Minor” Substantive Revisions Fall Annual Town Meeting: Section 2-1(b) establishes that Town Meeting will meet regularly twice a year; however, if not more than 10 articles are submitted under Section 2-9(a) for such meeting, the Board may “cancel” such a meeting no later than September 15 in any year

10. “Minor” Substantive Revisions Vacancies in Town Meeting Membership: Section 2-6 and 2-7 clarify when a vacancy exists and how to fill the same (written ballot by all the District Representatives)

11. “Minor” Substantive Revisions Town Meeting Standing Committees: Section 2-9(c) has been reorganized and subsections added – –Section 2-9(c)(1)(i) renames the “Finance Committee” the “Finance and Warrant Committee” – –Section 2-9(c)(1)(iii) formally addresses the “Committee of Precinct Chairs” and authorizes the Committee to work with the Moderator to review Town Meeting rules, procedures, etc. – –Section 2-9(c)(1)(iv) recognizes that Town Meeting may create additional committees

12. “Minor” Substantive Revisions Town Meeting Standing Committees, continued: – –Section 2-9(c)(1)(v) provides that the Open Meeting Law is applicable to standing committees. – –Section 2-9(c)(2) provides that the Finance and Warrant Committee’s recommendations on articles shall be the main motion at Town Meeting, except that for proposed Zoning By-law adoption or amendments, the Planning Board’s recommendation shall be the main motion

13. “Minor” Substantive Revisions Electronic Voting: Section 2-9(f) provides authority for the Town Meeting, by by-law, to authorize electronic voting at Town Meeting

14. “Minor” Substantive Revisions Referendum – Section 2-12: – –the ability to request a referendum on a vote of Town Meeting has been revised to apply only to affirmative votes of Town Meeting – –the form of the referendum question has been set forth in the Charter; – –clarification has been made to clarify whether a referendum question has been approved – –clarification has been made with respect to calculating the14 day period for filing a petition runs from the date of dissolution of the meeting

15. “Minor” Substantive Revisions Appointment of multiple member bodies: – –Section 3-2(d) has been revised to clarify that the Board of Selectmen appoints multiple member bodies for which no other provision is made by Town Meeting – –Section 3-2(d) clarifies that the Board of Selectmen, Town Moderator and Town Administrator may, however, respectively appoint such committees as needed to assist them with matters within their jurisdiction – –Clarification of the Moderator’s and Town Administrator’s authority in this regard is found in Sections 3-8(b) and 4-2(b), respectively

16. “Minor” Substantive Revisions Appointment of multiple member bodies, continued: – –Clarification in Section 6-3(a) of “default” nature of Board’s appointing authority and of Town Meeting’s authority to designate appointing authority for additional multiple member bodies – –Section 6-3(b) clarifies that appointments to fill vacancies on appointed multiple member bodies shall be made for remainder of unexpired term in same manner as original appointment (i.e., by the same appointing authority)

17. “Minor” Substantive Revisions Recall – Section 3-13: – –Revisions have been made throughout this section to make implementation less susceptible to challenge – –In Section 3-13(b)(1) the definition of what constitutes an “affidavit” has been clarified – –In Section 3-13(b)(1), a requirement has been inserted that the “lead petitioner” and the “first ten signers” be specified – –Section 3-13(b)(2) clarifies the content of petition blanks and prohibits copies from being made – –Clarifies timeframe for circulation and return of petitions shall be calculated from date petitions are made available in the Clerk’s office

18. “Minor” Substantive Revisions Recall, continued: – –Clarifies in Section 3-13(c) application of Open Meeting Law to Board of Selectmen’s action on affidavit and further the timeframe for holding election – –Creates, in Section 3-13(f) a two-step process for considering recall on a single ballot: Step 1 is answering the question of whether a person is for or against recall Step 2 is who should replace the person if they are recalled (and, if the answer in Step 1 is that the Town is against the recall, the ballots cast for candidates under Step 2 are not counted) – –Extends the time during which a person elected to fill a recalled officers position may be sworn

19. “Minor” Substantive Revisions Town Administrator’s authority: – –Section 4-2(1) removes residency requirement (which can already be waived) – –Section 4-2(m) clarifies that the Town Administrator is the Chief Procurement Officers and may execute contracts for supplies and services – –Section 5A-8 clarifies that the Town Administrator may sign warrants for payment (which used to be found, as well, in the existing Section 4-2(t), in a slightly different format)

20. “Minor” Substantive Revisions Removal of Town Administrator: Section 4-5 has been revised to remove the detailed process for removal of the Town Administrator, retaining the requirement that the votes of no less than three Selectmen are necessary for removal, but providing further that any other provisions concerning removal may be made part of contract negotiations

21. “Minor” Substantive Revisions Removal of Town Employees: Section 6-6 has been similarly revised to remove the detailed process for removal, retaining the requirement that such removal be “for cause”, and in accordance with applicable provisions of the Personnel By-laws, or, in the absence of Personnel By-laws, pursuant to a procedure approved by the Town Administrator (be reminded that employees covered by collective bargaining agreements, civil service or contract would not be subject to this provision)

22. “Minor” Substantive Revisions Published Written Notice of School and Town Budgets, Budgets, and Budget Messages – –Section 5A-2 imposes requirements that the School Committee: at least seven days prior to the School Committee’s vote on the budget request notice be published in a local newspaper of availability of the budget message and draft budget, that such materials be made available in the office of the Superintendent and on the School Committee’s website; that School Committee prepare a budget message and that back up material may be requested by the Town Administrator or Selectmen;

23. “Minor” Substantive Revisions Published Written Notice of School and Town Budgets, Budgets, and Budget Messages: – –Section 5A-2 further requires that the School Committee: submit proposed budget to Town Administrator no less than two weeks prior to the date on which the Town Administrator is required to submit a proposed budget to the Finance Committee – –Section 5A-3 requires that the Town Administrator: publish similar notice at least one week before the Administrator presents budget to Board of Selectmen make such materials available in office of Town Administrator and Town website

24. “Minor” Substantive Revisions Public Participation in Meetings: Section 6- 2(f) has been revised to mandate that each meeting of a multiple-member body include an item for a public participation period of such duration and subject to such rules as the multiple-member body may adopt

25. “Minor” Substantive Revisions Role of Multiple Member Bodies: Section 6-7 provides that multiple-member bodies are policy making in nature, and as such, a multiple- member body as a whole, or individuals serving thereon, should not become involved in day to day operations and administration

26. “Minor” Substantive Revisions Report of Multiple Member Bodies: Section 6-8 provides that multiple-member bodies shall annually report with respect to plans or proposals known to it that may impact the Town’s resources, possibilities or needs as well as with respect to the updating or preparing of studies or plans, as many be applicable.

27. “Minor” Substantive Revisions Periodic Charter and By-law Review: Inserts requirement in Section 7-1 concerning periodic review of Charter, and streamlines and clarifies process for periodic review of By-laws in relation thereto, as well as responsibility of committees appointed for such purposes

28. “ Major” Substantive Revisions Town Clerk’s term - increase from three to five years (Article 3) Stipends - eliminate for elected officials (Article 3) Multiple member committees - limit simultaneous service on more than two appointed committees (Articles 3 and 6)

29. “ Major” Substantive Revisions Term limits –Four consecutive terms for members of elected and appointed multiple member bodies with terms of three years; –Three consecutive terms for members of elected and appointed multiple member bodies with terms of five years

30. “ Major” Substantive Revisions Board of Assessors - change in manner of selection from elected to appointed (Article 3) Town Administrator appointment authority- appoints all department heads, principal deputies, principal agents and directors and supervises such employees with respect to day to day operations and personnel matters (Articles 3, 4 and 6)

31. “ Major” Substantive Revisions Town Administrator’s responsibility with respect to maintenance of buildings and property – clarify application of section generally, including specific revisions to Parks and Recreation Commission and Board of Library Trustees sections (Articles 3 and 4) Title of Town Administrator – change to “Town Manager”