AN ACT AMENDING THE CHARTER OF THE TOWN OF WILLIAMSTOWN TO MAKE ALL GENDER REFERENCES 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 word “Selectmen”, the second time it appears, and inserting in place thereof the following words:- select board members.
SECTION 2. Section 3 of said charter is hereby amended by striking out the word “Selectmen”, the first, second, third, fourth, fifth and seventh 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 “Selectmen”, the sixth time it appears, and inserting in place thereof the following words:- select board.
SECTION 4. 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 5. 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.
SECTION 6. Section 5 of said charter is hereby amended by striking out the word “his” and inserting in place thereof the following word:- a.
SECTION 7. Said section 5 of said charter is hereby further amended by striking out the word “Selectmen”, the first time it appears, and inserting in place thereof the following words:- select board.
SECTION 8. Said section 5 of said charter is hereby further amended by striking out the words “Chairman of the Selectmen” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- chairperson of the select board.
SECTION 9. 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.
SECTION 10. Section 7 of said charter is hereby amended by striking out the word “Selectmen” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- select board.
SECTION 11. 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 12. Section 8 of said charter is hereby amended by striking out the word “Selectmen” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- select board.
SECTION 13. 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 14. Section 9 of said charter is hereby amended by striking out the words “in behalf of the District, and the Selectmen in” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- on behalf of the district, and the select board on.
SECTION 15. 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 16. 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 17. Said section 10 of said charter is hereby further amended by striking out the word “he”, the first time it appears, and inserting in place thereof the following words:- such member.
SECTION 18. Said section 10 of said charter is hereby further amended by striking out the word “Selectmen”, the second time it appears, and inserting in place thereof the following words:- select board.
SECTION 19. Said section 10 of said charter is hereby further amended by striking out the word “he”, the second time it appears, and inserting in place thereof the following words:- the town manager.
SECTION 20. 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, 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 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, the town clerk or 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.
SECTION 21. 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.
SECTION 22. Section 13 of said charter is hereby amended by striking out the word “Selectmen”, the first, second and fourth time it appears, and inserting in place thereof, in each instance, the following words:- select board.
SECTION 23. Said section 13 of said charter is hereby further amended by striking out the words “Board of Selectmen” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- select board.
SECTION 24. 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 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 3 calendar months following the filing of the preliminary resolution.
SECTION 25. Section 14 of said charter is hereby amended by striking out the word “his” and inserting in place thereof the following word:- their.
SECTION 26. 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.
SECTION 27. 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.
SECTION 28. 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 29. 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 30. 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 charter.
SECTION 31. 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 32. 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 33. Said subsection (e) 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 34. 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 35. 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.
SECTION 36. 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.
SECTION 37. 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 38. 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 39. 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.
SECTION 40. 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.
SECTION 41. 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 42. 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 43. 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 44. 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.
SECTION 45. 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 46. 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 47. 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.
SECTION 48. 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 words:- the town manager’s.
SECTION 49. Said section 16 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 50. 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 51. Section 18 of said charter is hereby amended by striking out the word “Selectmen” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- select board.
SECTION 52. Section 19 of said charter is hereby amended by striking out the word “he” and inserting in place thereof the following word:- they.
SECTION 53. 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 54. 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.
SECTION 55. 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 56. 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.
SECTION 57. 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 58. Section 22 of said charter is hereby amended by striking out the word “Selectmen” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- select board.
SECTION 59. 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.
SECTION 60. This act shall take effect upon its passage.
Approved, January 3, 2024.