Charter Revision Commission Meeting
Regular Meeting Minutes
TUESDAY, AUGUST 14, 2007

Present: Brian Gouin, Richard Murphy (Chair), Dorothy DiPiro, Sharon Scaramella, Carl Fitzgibbons, Joseph Amend
Absent: Susan Malecky
Others: Attorney Steve Mednick

1. Chairman Call Meeting to Order
Chairman Murphy called the meeting to order at 6:40 pm.

2. Accept Agenda
There was a motion to accept the agenda by Carl Fitzgibbons, seconded by Brian Gouin. Vote unanimous, motion carried.

3. Accept Minutes: none

4. Public Comment: none

5. Other Business: none

6. Discuss / Review Charter (ongoing)
Brian Gouin and Steve Mednick reviewed for all commission members the revisions that they made to Sections 4-1, 4-4 and 5-1. Commission members began their review of the charter beginning with Chapter 4, reviewing all sections which were not previously approved.

• There was a motion by Brian Gouin, seconded by Joseph Amend to revise section 4.1 to read as follows:

'The Annual Town Budget is a summary of estimated or intended expenditures for the Fiscal Year, along with proposals for financing such expenditures. It shall be adopted annually as set forth in this Charter. The Annual Town Budget is presented for approval at Referendum, as described in this chapter, and consists of the following budgets:
The Annual Town Budget shall be comprised of the following budgets:

1. The General Fund Budget
2. The Capital Expenditures Budget'

The vote was unanimous, the motion carried.

• Section 4-1.1: no changes
  
• Section 4-1.2: no changes
  
• Section 4-2.1: no changes
  
• Section 4-2.2: no changes
  
• Section 4-2.3: no changes
  
• Section 4-2.4: no changes
  
• Section 4-7: no changes
  
• Section 4-8: no changes
  
• Section 5-5: no changes
  
• There was a motion by Joseph Amend, seconded by Dorothy DiPiro, to revise section 5-6(a) to read as follows:
  a) The First Selectman or the Director of Finance, as may be designated by the First Selectman, shall contract for and purchase all supplies, materials, equipment and other commodities and services required by any Department or Board, excluding the Board of Education, on requisition signed by the Department Director or a responsible representative appointed by such Director, pursuant to the provisions of this section.'

Vote unanimous, motion carried.

• Section 5-6 (b) thru 5-6 (d): no changes
  
• Section 5-6(e) is revised to read as follows:
  '(e) All contracts and purchase orders up to and including One Thousand ($1,000.00) Dollars shall be signed by the First Selectman or the Director of Finance, as may be designated by the First Selectman. All contracts and purchase orders exceeding One Thousand ($1,000.00) Dollars shall be signed by the First Selectman and the Director of Finance.'
  
• Section 5-6(f): no changes at this time. This section will be revisited with the Superintendent of Schools, to see what designated agent would be appropriate, if any.
• Section 5-6(g): is revised to read as follows:
  '(g) The Board of Selectmen may waive the provisions of this section pertaining to bid or proposal requirements if deemed in the best interest of the Town.'
• Section 5-7: no changes
  
• Section 5-8: no changes
  
• Section 5-9: revised to read as follows:
  'The Board of Selectmen shall annually designate an independent certified public accountant or firm of independent certified public accountants to audit the books and accounts of the Town, including water and sewer accounts, in accordance with the provisions of the C.G.S.'
• Section 5-10: no changes
  
• Section 5-11 (a) : no changes
  
• Section 5-11 (b) is revised to read as follows: the word 'each' is deleted
  
• Section 5-11 (c ): no changes
  
• Section 5-11 (d): no changes
  
• Section 5-12: no changes
  
• Section 5-13: no changes

Chairman Murphy recessed this meeting at 8:05 pm. The meeting reconvened at 8:20 pm. Carl Fitzgibbons and Steve Mednick left the meeting at 8:05 pm. Commission members continued their review of the charter resuming with section 6-3.

• Section 6-3 is revised to read as follows:
  'No person shall be eligible for election to any Town of Portland office who is not at the time of such election a true bona fide resident and elector of the Town, as defined by Section 9-1 of C.G.S. and Section 1-4 of this Charter, and any person ceasing to be a bona fide resident and elector of the Town shall thereupon cease to hold elective office in the Town.'
• Section 6-5: Joseph Amend made a motion, seconded by Brian Gouin, to revise this section to read as follows:

'When any regular or special municipal election, primary election or referendum conducted pursuant to the provisions of this Charter results in a tie, an adjourned election shall be conducted in accordance with the provisions of C.G.S. Section 9-332 to determine who shall be elected, or in the case of a question at referendum whether it shall be accepted or rejected.

The provisions of this section shall not apply to questions at referendum which, under the provisions of this Charter or of the General Statutes, require a minimum number of electors voting in favor of such questions for approval.'

Vote unanimous, motion carried.

• Section 7-1: no changes
  
• Section 7-2: revised to read as follows:
  'Only the First Selectman, Town Clerk, members of the Board of Selectmen, Board of Assessment Appeals and Registrars of Voters shall receive compensation. For all except the Board of Selectmen, compensation shall be recommended by the Board of Selectmen and approved in the annual General Fund Budget.

The Board of Selectmen's compensation shall be set by Charter to $2,500 each annually, to be paid quarterly. Compensation at this rate will not take effect until after the elections of 2007. Reimbursement of actual expenses incurred by elected officers in the performance of official duties shall be made as authorized by the Board of Selectmen and included in the annual General Fund Budget.

All fees collected by elected officers in the course of conducting town business shall be remitted to the General Fund.'

• Section 7-3.1: November 2007 is changed to November 2009.
  
• Section 7-3.2(b): 2007 is changed to 2011
  
• Section 7-3.3: November 2007 is changed to November 2009
  
• Section 7-3.4: no changes
  
• Section 7-4: no changes
  
• Section 7-5.1: no changes
  
• Section 7-5.2: no changes
  
• Section 7-5.3: no changes
  
• Section 7-5.4: January 1 is changed to January 1st.
  
• Section 7-6: no changes

7. Adjourn
There was a motion to adjourn the meeting by Brian Gouin, seconded by Joseph Amend.
Vote unanimous, motion carried. The meeting was adjourned at 8:50 pm.

Respectfully Submitted,

Laura Siena, Board Clerk