Skip to Content
March 29, 2024 Rain | 38°F
The 193rd General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

AN ACT RELATIVE TO THE CHARTER OF THE TOWN OF WESTBOROUGH.

Whereas, The deferred operation of this act would tend to defeat its purpose, which is to establish forthwith a sick leave bank for a certain employee of the department of mental retardation, therefore it is hereby declared to be an emergency law, necessary for the immediate preservation of the public convenience.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same as follows:

SECTION 1. Section 2-2 of the charter of the town of Westborough, which is on file in the office of the archivist of the commonwealth, as provided in section 12 of chapter 43B of the General Laws, is hereby amended by striking out the second sentence and inserting in place thereof the following sentence:-The moderator shall, at the first session of each annual and special town meeting, appoint a deputy moderator to serve in the event of his absence or disability; provided, however, that the town meeting shall ratify the appointment.

SECTION 2. Section 2-8 of said charter is hereby amended by striking out the sixth sentence and inserting in place thereof the following sentence:-Additional copies of all warrants shall be available for distribution in the office of the town clerk before the date on which the town meeting is to convene and that complies with the General Laws.

SECTION 3. Section 3-2 of said charter is hereby amended by striking out subsection (d) and inserting in place thereof the following subsection:-
(d) The board of selectmen shall, appoint for fixed terms, the town accountant, the animal control officer, the town's representatives to the wastewater treatment plant board, the treasurer-collector, the constables and the election officers. The board of selectmen shall appoint, for fixed overlapping terms, the members of the board of appeals, registrars of voters, conservation commission, recreation commission, committee for soldiers' memorials, council on aging, country club operating committee, cultural council, emergency planning committee, historical commission, housing partnership committee, insurance advisory committee, open space preservation committee and the youth commission. The board of selectmen shall appoint, for terms not to exceed 3 years, a director of veterans' services, a town counsel, a town coordinator, a manager of public works, a fire chief and a police chief. The board of selectmen shall appoint members of other special or standing commissions or committees as may, from time to time, be established by the town meeting.

SECTION 4. Section 3-3 of said charter is hereby amended by striking out subsection (d) and inserting in place thereof the following subsection:-
(d) The moderator shall appoint for fixed overlapping terms members of the advisory finance committee, members of the personnel board, 2 members of the capital expenditures planning committee and such other committees special or standing as may from time to time be established with the moderator as appointing authority, such that the terms of office of as nearly an equal number of members as possible shall expire in each year.

SECTION 5. Subsection (a) of section 4-2 of said charter is hereby amended by striking out the first sentence and inserting in place thereof the following sentence:- He shall appoint the assessors, board of health, building inspector, wiring inspector, plumbing inspector and sexual harassment officer subject to the civil service laws, where applicable.

SECTION 6. Section 6-6 of said charter is hereby amended by striking out the last paragraph and inserting in place thereof the following paragraph:-
The capital expenditures planning committee shall be composed of the treasurer-collector; 1 member of the advisory finance committee, appointed by the advisory committee; 1 member of the planning board, appointed by the planning board; 1 member of the board of selectmen, appointed by the board; 1 member of the school committee, appointed by the school committee; and 2 additional members appointed by the moderator for staggered 3-year terms. Vacancies shall be filled for unexpired terms in the manner of the original appointments.

Approved January 17, 2008