AN ACT AMENDING THE CHARTER OF THE TOWN OF HARWICH.
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. Chapter 9 of the charter of the town of Harwich, as appearing in chapter 18 of the acts of 2006, is hereby amended by striking out section 6 and inserting in place thereof the following section:-
Section 6. Capital Outlay Plan
9-6-1 The purpose of the 7-year capital outlay plan shall be to provide the town with a long-range forecast of the town’s capital improvement needs and to attempt to keep debt borrowing levels as even as possible from year to year.
9-6-2 A “capital outlay” shall mean the acquisition, construction or renovation of buildings, equipment or land having a total cost of $50,000 during any budget year and planning funds for any such capital outlay.
9-6-3 The town administrator and the capital outlay committee shall submit a 7-year capital outlay plan to a joint public meeting of the board of selectmen and the finance committee during the month of December of each year.
9-6-4 The board of selectmen shall prepare articles to be included in the May annual town meeting warrant seeking adoption of the 7-year capital outlay plan and funding of the current year of the plan.
9-6-5 A simple majority vote of the town meeting shall be required to adopt the 7-year capital outlay plan as submitted.
9-6-6 If any part of the current year of the plan receives funding support at the annual town meeting, but fails at any necessary debt exclusion, capital exclusion or proposition 2½ override ballot votes, the unsupported portion shall be returned to the 7-year capital plan in year 1 of the next 7-year plan.
9-6-7 Any article included in the annual or special town meeting warrant which requests a capital outlay as defined in section 9-6-2, but which has not been recommended by the capital outlay committee, the board of selectmen and the finance committee shall require a 2/3 majority vote of the town meeting.
Approved, May 23, 2012.