AN ACT RELATIVE TO THE CHARTER OF THE TOWN OF GREENSFIELD.
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 4-1 of the charter of the town of Greenfield, 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 paragraph (a) and inserting in place thereof the following paragraph:-
(a) Composition, Term of Office. There shall be a school committee, which shall consist of 7 members, 6 of whom shall be nominated and elected by and from the voters of the town at large. The mayor shall serve, by virtue of office, as the seventh member of the school committee with all of the same powers and duties as the members elected by the voters as school committee members.
SECTION 2. Said section 4-1 of said charter is hereby further amended by striking out paragraph (b) and inserting in place thereof the following paragraph:-
(b) Term of Office. The term of office for the 6 persons elected by the voters as school committee members shall be for 3 years each, with staggered terms, beginning on the first business day of July after the annual town election and continuing until their successors have been qualified. Transitional elections shall provide for 1 member of the school committee to be elected for a 3-year term in the 2008 election, for 2 members of the school committee to be elected for 2-year terms and for 1 member of the school committee to be elected for a 2-year term in the 2009 election, for 2 members of the school committee to be elected for 3-year terms in the 2010 election and for 2 members of the school committee to be elected for 3-year terms at each election thereafter.
SECTION 3. Section 6-3 of said charter is hereby amended by striking out paragraphs (a) and (b) and inserting in place thereof the following 2 paragraphs:-
(a) Establishment, Scope. There shall be a department of municipal finance which shall be responsible for the performance of all fiscal and financial activities of the town. The director of municipal finance shall assume all of the duties and responsibilities related to municipal finance activities which prior to the effective date of this act were performed by or under the authority of the town accountant, the town treasurer, the town collector and the board of assessors. The department shall have such additional powers, duties and responsibilities with respect to municipal finance-related functions and activities as the town may from time to time provide by by-law. Any powers of a chief procurement officer which the mayor does not personally exercise, shall be assigned to the department of municipal finance. All activity by the mayor acting as a chief procurement officer shall be processed through the department of municipal finance.
(b) Director of Municipal Finance. The department of municipal finance shall be under the direct control and supervision of a director of municipal finance who shall be appointed by and responsible to the mayor. The mayor shall appoint individuals as necessary to perform the duties of town collector and town treasurer. The director of municipal finance shall be a person especially fitted by education, experience and training to perform the duties of the office. The director shall be responsible for the supervision and coordination of all activities of the department in accordance with the General Laws, town by-laws, administrative codes and rules and regulations. The director shall serve, as the mayor may from time to time specify, as the town treasurer, town collector, treasurer-collector or town accountant.
SECTION 4. Section 6-4 of said charter is hereby amended by striking out paragraphs (a) and (b) and inserting in place thereof the following 2 paragraphs:-
(a) Establishment, Scope. There shall be a department of planning and development which shall be responsible for the coordination of all planning and development-related activities of the town. The director of planning and development shall be responsible for the coordination of all of the duties and responsibilities related to the planning and development-related activities which, prior to the effective date of this act were performed by or under the authority of the planning board, board of appeals and conservation commission. The department shall have such additional powers, duties and responsibilities with respect to the coordination of planning and development related functions and activities as the town may from time to time provide, by by-law, and which may include the coordination of all land acquisition and land management proposals, economic development planning, the preparation of a comprehensive or master plan and maintenance of a centralized source of records, reports, statistical data and other planning and development-related materials.
(b) Director of Planning and Development. The department of planning and development shall be under the direct control and supervision of a director of planning and development who shall be appointed by and responsible to the mayor. The director shall be a person especially fitted by education, experience and training to perform the duties of the office. The director shall be responsible for the supervision and coordination of all activities of the department in accordance with the General Laws, town by-laws, administrative codes and rules and regulations.
SECTION 5. Section 6-9 of said charter is hereby amended by striking out paragraph (b) and inserting in place thereof the following paragraph:-
(b) The board of license commissioners shall consist of 5 persons, who shall be registered voters, to be appointed by the mayor for terms of 3 years, beginning on the first business day of July, 2008. No person, while a member of the board, shall have an interest, directly or indirectly, with the sale or distribution of alcoholic beverages.
SECTION 6. Paragraph (d) of section 6-11 of said charter is hereby amended by striking out subsection 4 and inserting in place thereof the following subsection:-
(4) Final interviews for appointments and promotions of officers and personnel, in the police and fire departments shall be conducted by the commission and the chief. The chief shall submit his recommendations to the commission and the commission, if it does not agree with those recommendations, shall submit written reasons for not concurring with the recommendations to the mayor. Appointments and promotions of public safety personnel shall be made in accordance with civil service laws and the General Laws and local hiring policy requirements as defined by the mayor, respectively.
SECTION 7. Section 6-21 of said charter is hereby amended by striking out paragraphs (a) and (c) and inserting in place thereof the following 2 paragraphs:-
(a) There shall be a conservation commission which shall consist of 5 members who shall be appointed by the mayor, with the approval by town council. The commission members shall serve staggered 3-year terms.
(c) A vacancy in the office of a regular member of the conservation commission shall be filled by the mayor.
SECTION 8. Section 1 shall take effect on July 1, 2008.
Approved January 4, 2008