TOWN OF SIMSBURY
CHARTER REVISION COMMISSION
REGULAR MEETING MINUTES
NOVEMBER 7, 2005
The Regular Meeting of the Charter Revision Commission was held in the Main Meeting Room of the Simsbury Town Offices. Present were: Chairman, Charles Howard; members John Ritson, William Ethier, Carl Eisenmann, Linda Schofield, Eileen Zaldonis and Anita Mielert. Others in attendance included Attorney Bob DeCrescenzo, Mr. & Mrs. Robert Kalechman, Helen Peterson and other interested parties.
CALL TO ORDER
Mr. Howard called the meeting to order at 7:35 p.m.
PUBLIC AUDIENCE
Mr. Kalechman, 971 Hopmeadow Street, said he favored the Selectmen form of government.
Mr. Kalechman said that an opinion isn’t a matter of fact or law, and that needs to be understood. He said he spoke at the last meeting about conflict of interest, which he hopes will stay in the Charter.
Mr. Kalechman said he felt the Design Review Board and Planning and Zoning proposals at the Public Hearing came in too late for changes to be made. It is unfair to everyone as no one will have a chance to comment on the changes.
Helen Peterson, 20 Longview Drive, said she served on the Planning Commission. She is very much in favor of supporting putting the Design Review Board in the Charter. She feels it is important at least to try this. The Design Review Board is of great value to the Town. Ms. Peterson said she feels it is well worth providing the position for validity in the Charter. She feels they provide a valuable asset to the approval process.
Ms. Schofield said she was not clear on what is the best course of action to take. They do add value, but they already have the influence, we don’t want to add another layer to the process.
Ms. Peterson said it took four years of research to get to the point where there was a well written and executed open space program. She was one of the Committee members. She feels this Committee needs to be in the Charter so the program will maintain its place of importance in the process of government in Town.
Ms. Peterson said the Open Space Committee has a value to the Town. She is afraid that the value of this program to the Town will be eroded if it doesn’t have status in the Charter.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Ms. Mielert made motion to approve the minutes of October 12, 2005. Mr. Eisenmann seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion passed.
TOWN OF SIMSBURY
CHARTER REVISION COMMISSION
REGULAR MEETING MINUTES
NOVEMBER 7, 2005
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Mr. Ethier made motion to approve the Public Hearing minutes of October 18, 2005 with corrections made. Ms. Zaldonis seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion passed.
Ms. Schofield made motion to approve the minutes of the Special Meeting minutes of October 18, 2005 with corrections made. Ms. Mielert seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion passed.
PUBLIC HEARING DISCUSSION
a) Aging and Disabilities
Attorney DeCrescenzo gave the Commission a letter with his opinions on having members on this Commission with disabilities. He said there is no mandate to have members with disabilities on the Commission, but also no mandate that you can’t create a requirement.
After some discussion, Ms. Mielert made motion to recommend to the Board of Selectmen that the consider this for an ordinance revision. Mr. Eisenmann seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion passed.
Ms. Mielert made motion not to include any changes to the Aging and Disabilities Commission in the Charter. Mr. Eisenmann seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion passed.
Mr. Howard will make a sentence in the Draft Report on this issue.
b) Design Review Board
The Commission re-read Attorney DeCrescenzo’s letter of February 16, 2005 on this issue.
Mr. Either said the presentation at the Public Hearing convinced him not to put the Design Review Board in the Charter as he did not want to give them more power. They should give helpful advice on aesthetics, but have not authority to regulate aesthetics. He recommended that the Board of Selectmen elevate them by ordinance.
Ms. Mielert felt that the Design Review Board should be in the Charter. Both Design Review and Open Space deserve stability and legitimacy. She said if they have Charter status they become permanent.
Mr. Ritson said he is neutral on this. He feels they work very hard and are very dedicated, however, they don’t need to be in the Charter.
After further discussion, there was no motion to include the Design Review Board in the Charter and therefore the draft stays the same.
TOWN OF SIMSBURY
CHARTER REVISION COMMISSION
REGULAR MEETING MINUTES
NOVEMBER 7, 2005
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c) Open Space Committee
Attorney DeCrescenzo said he added John Loomis’s language under the Open Space Section 716 in the Draft Charter. Mr. Howard said he did not like the word “prioritizing.”
After some discussion, Ms. Mielert made motion to add the word “advise” and take out the word “prioritizing” in the language in Section 716. Mr. Ritson seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion passed. Attorney DeCrescenzo will draft the revision.
DRAFT CHARTER REVISIONS
There were corrections in the Draft Charter: Page 5, Should be “strong Mayor” ; the word “rest of” the annual budget should be on page 8; on page 23 clear version, there should be a comma after the word removal; on page 25, Section 703 it should say appointed “Boards”; on page 30, Section 716 doesn’t need to be in bold face. Section 717 seems to be wedged in at the bottom. On page 49, Section 1110, usage B, adoption of the “Charter”. Also, check the word superceded.
Mr. Howard said Section 716 needs to be changed as adopted tonight. Also, a section needs to be added to the report on Aging and Disabilities on page 12.
After further discussion, Mr. Howard said he would have a Special Phone Meeting on Thursday, November 10th at 8 a.m. for the final approval. The Commission decided to send the drafts to the Board of Selectmen on November 18, 2005. Then they wait to hear from them for the next meeting.
ADJOURNMENT
Mr. Ethier made motion to adjourn at 8:55 p.m. Mr. Ritson seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion passed.
Respectfully submitted,
Kathi Radocchio
Clerk
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