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12-15-2023 12:57am
Changes to Westwood's Town Charter Proposed by Charter Review Committee (Updated)
Darlene Cancell
Editor
Editor's note: A misreading of a presentation slide by the Charter Review Committee resulted in Westwood Minute's mistaken reporting. It was mistakenly reported that the committee proposes to change appointment of Finance and Warrant Commission members from discretion of the Town Moderator to the discretion of the Town Administrator. That reading was incorrect. Westwood Minute apologizes for the error. The mistaken reference to "Town Administrator" has been corrected to "Town Moderator." I recognize that readers depend on Westwood Minute's reporting of local government news to be accurately reported, and regret the inconvenience the mistake has caused. To avoid creating further confusion, reader comments which made conclusions that relied on the erroneous reporting, through no fault of their own, have been deleted.
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Westwood's Charter Review Committee, a body which was created to examine the Town Charter for potential changes, has recently recommended to Westwood Select Board that changes to the charter be presented for resident vote at the upcoming spring Town Meeting. Among other changes, the proposed articles would impact the quorum requirement and the duties, responsibilities, and/or selection of members of Westwood Finance and Warrant Commission, the Town Clerk, the Personnel Board, and the Permanent Building Commission.
Below is a synopsis of the proposed charter changes, with relevant charter sections referenced, as presented by the Charter Review Commitee to Select Board at the board's December 4th meeting. In addition, to provide context, Westwood Minute has provided brief descriptions of the existing charter provisions.
Changing Town Clerk from Elected to Appointed Position (Section 4-7-1 of Town Charter)
The Charter Review Committee recommends that the position of Town Clerk should change to an appointed position. The current Westwood Town Charter provides that the Town Clerk is an elected position.
Eliminating Ongoing Quorum Requirement (Section 2-8-1 of Town Charter).
The Charter Review Committee recommends that the requirement for a quorum need only be fulfilled at the start of a town meeting, allowing business to continue in town meeting if attendees leave as the meeting progresses. The current Town Charter requires adjournment of the town meeting if the number in attendance falls below the quorum number.
Change Number and Appointment of Members of Finance and Warrant Commission (FinCom) (Section 7-3-1 of Town Charter)
This proposed change would allow a range of 9 to 15 members to be appointed to FinCom at the discretion of the Town Moderator. The current charter gives the Town Moderator the authority to appoint 15 members to FinCom.
Another proposed change is to allow FinCom members to serve as ex officio (non-voting) board members on other town bodies. The current charter prohibits FinCom members from holding any other elected or appointed position while serving on FinCom.
Change Status and Responsiblity of Personnel Board (Section 7-4-1- and 7-4-2 of Town Charter)
This proposal would make the Personnel Board a "Personnel Advisory Board" to the Town Administrator, reducing its role to an advisory one. In contrast, the current charter gives the Town Moderator the authority to appoint this board, and gives the board the authority to propose and administer periodic revisions of the town employee classification and compensation plan.
Require School Committee Voice on Permanent Bulidng Commission (PBC) (Section 7-5-1, 7-5-2 & 7-5-4 of Town Charter)
The Charter Review Committe has proposed a change to the charter to include an official requirement that a School Committee member will be included in any school project before the Permanent Bulidng Commitee. The current charter specifies that the Town Moderator try to appoint members with architecture, engineering or construction experience, or knowledge of state public bidding laws, but makes no mention of school committee members.
Another proposed change would allow PBC to decline to exercise jurisdiction over smaller projects based on size, scope or cost.
Other Articles
Technical changes are proposed which are characterized as making the Town Charter clearer and more efficient. While the Charter Review Commitee presentation did not go into much detail, it gave one example of allowing the Town Administrator the power to appoint people to deputy positions, such as for procurement.
The committee is also proposing a requirement there be a housing authority of five elected members. While Westwood does have such a body, the Charter Review Committee notes that the current language references a potential waiver.
Updated 12/15/2023 at 9:44 p.m. A correction has been made to the section synopsis for "Change Number and Appointment of Members to Finance and Warrant Commission." An incorrect reference to "Town Administrator" has been corrected to "Town Moderator." Westwood Minute apologizes for the error.
