FILED ON: 12/5/2022

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 5409

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Second General Court
(2021-2022)

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An Act to amend the Williamstown town charter by making all gender references therein gender neutral.

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 1 of the charter of the town of Williamstown, 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 words “majority of the Selectmen” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- majority of the Select Board Members.

SECTION 2. Section 3 of said charter is hereby amended by striking out the word “Selectmen”, each time it appears, and inserting in place thereof, in each instance, the following words:- Select Board Members.

SECTION 3. Said section 3 of said charter is hereby further amended by striking out the word “Selectman”, each time it appears, and inserting in place thereof, in each instance, the following words:- Select Board Member.

SECTION 4. Section 4 of said charter is hereby amended by striking out the word “Selectmen”, each time it appears, and inserting in place thereof, in each instance, the following words:- Select Board Members.

SECTION 5. Section 5 of said charter is hereby amended by striking out the word “his” and inserting in place thereof the following word:- their.

SECTION 6. Said section 5 of said charter is hereby further amended by striking out the word “Selectmen”, each time it appears, and inserting in place thereof, in each instance, the following words:- Select Board Members.

SECTION 7. Said section 5 of said charter is hereby further amended by striking out the word “Chairman” and inserting in place thereof the following word:- Chairperson.

SECTION 8. Section 6 of said charter is hereby amended by striking out the words “Chairman of the Selectmen” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- Chairperson of the Select Board Members.

SECTION 9. Section 7 of said charter is hereby amended by striking out the word “Selectmen” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- Select Board Members.

SECTION 10. Said section 7 of said charter is hereby further amended by striking out the word “his” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- the Town Manager’s.

SECTION 11. Section 8 of said charter is hereby amended by striking out the word “Selectmen” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- Select Board Members.

SECTION 12. Said section 8 of said charter is hereby further amended by striking out the word “his” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- the Town Manager’s.

SECTION 13. Section 9 of said charter is hereby amended by striking out the word “Selectmen” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- Select Board Members.

SECTION 14. Said section 9 of said charter is hereby further amended by striking out the word “his” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- the Town Manager’s.

SECTION 15. Section 10 of said charter is hereby amended by striking out the words “Board of Selectmen” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- Select Board.

SECTION 16. Said section 10 of said charter is hereby further amended by striking out the words “he was” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- they were.

SECTION 17. Said section 10 of said charter is hereby further amended by striking out the word “Selectmen” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- Select Board Members.

SECTION 18. Said section 10 of said charter is hereby further amended by striking out the word “he” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- the Town Manager.

SECTION 19. Said charter is hereby further amended by striking out section 11 and inserting in place thereof the following section:-

Section 11. Appointment of Town Manager. The Select Board Members elected as provided herein shall appoint, as soon as practicable, a Town Manager, who shall be a person especially fitted by training and experience to perform the duties of the office. The Town Manager shall be appointed without regard to their political beliefs. The Town Manager need not be a resident of the town or of the commonwealth when appointed, and shall not, during the 12 months prior to their appointment, have held any elective or appointive office in the Town of Williamstown, other than the office of Assistant Town Manager, if any. The Town Manager shall be a resident of the town during the term of their office. Before entering upon the duties of their office, the Town Manager shall be sworn to the faithful and impartial performance thereof by the Chairperson of the Select Board Members, or by the Town Clerk, or by a Justice of the Peace. The Town Manager shall execute a bond in favor of the town for the faithful performance of their duties in such sum and with such surety as may be fixed or approved by the Select Board Members.

SECTION 20. Section 12 of said charter is hereby amended by striking out the word “Selectmen”, each time it appears, and inserting in place thereof, in each instance, the following words:- Select Board Members.

SECTION 21. Section 13 of said charter is hereby amended by striking out the words “Board of Selectmen” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- Select Board.

SECTION 22 Said section 13 of said charter is hereby further amended by striking out the word “Selectmen”, each time it appears, and inserting in place thereof, in each instance, the following words:- Select Board Members.

SECTION 23. Said section 13 of said charter is hereby further amended by striking out the last sentence and inserting in place thereof the following sentence:- In the preliminary resolution the Select Board Members may suspend the Manager from duty, but shall in any case cause to be paid to the Manager forthwith any unpaid balance of the Manager’s salary and the Manager’s salary for the next three calendar months following the filing of the preliminary resolution.

SECTION 24. Section 14 of said charter is hereby amended by striking out the word “his” and inserting in place thereof the following word:- their.

SECTION 25. Said section 14 of said charter is hereby further amended by striking out the word “Selectmen” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- Select Board Members.

SECTION 26. Subsection (a) of section 15 of said charter is hereby amended by striking out the word “Selectmen” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- Select Board Members.

SECTION 27. Subsection (b) of said section 15 of said charter is hereby amended by striking out the word “his” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- the Town Manager’s.

SECTION 28. Said subsection (b) of said section 15 of said charter is hereby further amended by striking out the word “he” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- the Town Manager.

SECTION 29. Subsection (c) of said section 15 of said charter is hereby amended by striking out the second sentence and inserting in place thereof the following sentence:- The Town Manager may in like manner appoint and remove such other officers and employees as the Town Manager deems necessary to carry out the powers and duties imposed upon the Town Manager by this Act.

SECTION 30. Subsection (d) of said section 15 of said charter is hereby amended by striking out the word “him” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- the Town Manager.

SECTION 31. Subsection (e) of said section 15 of said charter is hereby amended by striking out the words “Board of Selectmen” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- Select Board.

SECTION 32. Said subsection (e) of said section 15 of said charter is hereby further amended by striking out “his” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- the Town Manager’s.

SECTION 33. Subsection (f) of said section 15 of said charter is hereby amended by striking out the word “his”, each time it appears, and inserting in place thereof, in each instance, the following words:- the Town Manager’s.

SECTION 34. Said subsection (f) of said section 15 of said charter is hereby further amended by striking out the word “Selectmen” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- Select Board Members.

SECTION 35. Subsection (g) of said section 15 of said charter is hereby amended by striking out the word “Selectmen”, each time it appears, and inserting in place thereof, in each instance, the following words:- Select Board Members.

SECTION 36. Said subsection (g) of said section 15 of said charter is hereby further amended by striking out the word “he” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- the Town Manager.

SECTION 37. Subsection (j) of said section 15 of said charter is hereby amended by striking out the word “him” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- the Town Manager.

SECTION 38. Said subsection (j) of said section 15 of said charter is hereby further amended by striking out the word “Selectmen” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- Select Board Members.

SECTION 39. Subsection (k) of said section 15 of said charter is hereby amended by striking out the word “Selectmen” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- Select Board Members.

SECTION 40. Said subsection (k) of said section 15 of said charter is hereby further amended by striking out the word “his” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- the Town Manager’s.

SECTION 41. Subsection (l) of said section 15 of said charter is hereby amended by striking out the word “his” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- the Town Manager’s.

SECTION 42. Said subsection (l) of said section 15 of said charter is hereby further amended by striking out the word “him” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- the Town Manager.

SECTION 43. Said subsection (l) of said section 15 of said charter is hereby further amended by striking out the word “Selectmen” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- Select Board Members.

SECTION 44. Subsection (m) of said section 15 of said charter is hereby amended by striking out the word “his”, each time it appears, and inserting in place thereof, in each instance, the following words:- the Town Manager’s.

SECTION 45. Said subsection (m) of said section 15 of said charter is hereby further amended by striking out the word “him” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- the Town Manager.

SECTION 46. Section 16 of said charter is hereby amended by striking out the word “Selectmen”, each time it appears, and inserting in place thereof, in each instance, the following words:- Select Board Members.

SECTION 47. Said section 16 of said charter is hereby further amended by striking out the word “his”, each time it appears, and inserting in place thereof, in each instance, the following word:- their.

SECTION 48. Said section 16 of said charter is hereby further amended by striking out the word “he” and inserting in place thereof the following word:- they.

SECTION 49. Section 17 of said charter is hereby amended by striking out the word “he” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- the Town Manager.

SECTION 50. Section 18 of said charter is hereby amended by striking out the word “Selectmen” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- Select Board Members.

SECTION 51. Section 19 of said charter is hereby amended by striking out the word “he” and inserting in place thereof the following word:- they.

SECTION 52. Said section 19 of said charter is hereby further amended by striking out the word “him” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- the Town Manager.

SECTION 53. Said section 19 of said charter is hereby further amended by striking out the word “Selectmen”, each time it appears, and inserting in place thereof, in each instance, the following words:- Select Board Members.

SECTION 54. Section 20 of said charter is hereby amended by striking out the word “Selectman” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- Select Board Member.

SECTION 55. Said section 20 of said charter is hereby further amended by striking out the word “Selectmen”, each time it appears, and inserting in place thereof, in each instance, the following words:- Select Board Members.

SECTION 56. Said section 20 of said charter is hereby further amended by striking out the word “his” and inserting in place thereof the following word:- their.

SECTION 57. Section 22 of said charter is hereby amended by striking out the word “Selectmen” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- Select Board Members.

SECTION 58. Section 23 of said charter is hereby amended by striking out the word “Selectmen”, each time it appears, and inserting in place thereof, in each instance, the following words:- Select Board Members.

SECTION 59. This act shall take effect upon its passage.