AN ACT AMENDING THE CHARTER OF THE TOWN OF WILLIAMSTOWN
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. 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 adding the following section:-
Section 25. Compliance with the Charter.
(a) The Town Manager, as the administrative officer of the town, shall monitor whether town departments, commissions, boards, offices, officers and employees comply with the charter. If the Town Manager determines that any town department, commission, board, office, officer or employee fails to comply with the charter, the Town Manager shall meet with them to discuss the matter.
(b) If the Town Manager determines that any town department, commission, board, office, officer or employee continues to not be in compliance with the charter after that potential failure has been discussed with them, the Town Manager shall refer the matter to the select board, which may take action that it deems appropriate and authorized by law for those departments, commissions, boards, offices, officers and employees for which they are the appointing authority, and, for all other town boards, the select board shall file any documentation of the matter with the Town Clerk subject to the public records law.
(c) The select board shall ensure that the Town Manager complies with this Act.
(d) A resident of the town may petition: (i) the Town Manager to ensure faithful compliance with the charter by any town department, commission, board, office, officer or employee, except with respect to matters related to employment, for which they are the appointing authority; (ii) the select board to ensure faithful compliance with this Act by the Town Manager or those departments, commissions, boards, offices, officers and employees for which they are the appointing authority; or (iii) any elected position or board, or position or board appointed by any other appointing authority, to ensure faithful compliance by them with the charter. A petition under this subsection shall be filed with the Town Clerk and shall state the person or government body that may not be in compliance, the section of the charter involved and when said person or government body had potentially failed to comply therewith. The Town Clerk shall deliver a copy of the petition to such person or government body, the Town Manager and the select board within 3 business days of receipt thereof. Such person or government body shall file with the Town Clerk a written response within 30 days of their receipt of the petition and submit copies of such response to the Town Manager, select board and the petitioners.
(e) Following receipt of a petition by a resident, the written response from the subject of the petition and the expiration of 30 days, the Town Manager, the select board and any other appointing authority shall take such action with respect to the petition as is deemed appropriate and authorized by law for those departments, commissions, boards, offices, officers and employees for which, respectively, they are the appointing authority. Petitions for potential failures to comply with the charter by elected positions or boards shall remain filed with the Town Clerk subject to the public records law.
(f) This section shall not limit the right to seek enforcement of this charter as otherwise provided by law.
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon its passage.
Approved, January 10, 2025.