Council Discusses Charter Revision Recommendations
WETHERSFIELD - With the Charter Commission’s Town Charter Revision proposal up for action July 15, the Town Council weighed in on the body’s recommendations at its June 15 regular meeting.

       Commission Chair Dan Silver, a town resident, fielded a slew of Councilor questions that pertained to-among other things-the Board of Ethics and the Parks and Recreation Board.

       The Board of Ethics was one of the issues raised by residents who came out to a charter revision public hearing that was held as part of the last Council meeting. The problem, residents have said, is that the Board does not have enough power.

       One brought up the 2010 case involving former Board of Education member Stacey Hodges, who was accused of an ethics violation regarding $400 district payment to enroll her son in an online course. The Board of Ethics found the use of the funds to be in violation, but no disciplinary action was taken.

       â€"The problem is they did not put any teeth into it,” said resident and Independent Party Chair Paul Copp during the hearing. â€"All you can do is slap people on the hand and say ‘don’t do this again, and will you resign?’”

       Commissioners had similar concerns, but were advised by town attorneys against adding language that gave the Board the power to impose sanctions in the event that it finds someone guilty of an ethics violation, Silver said.

       While the proposed charter provision states that individuals determined to be guilty of an ethics violation would be â€"encouraged to resign”, going further to enforce such a ruling would present contractual and statutory implications, a report included in the public hearing minutes said.

       â€"It could open up all the town contracts, which, obviously, the Commission was not willing to do,” he said. â€"There were many commissioners that wanted a stronger remedy, but we couldn’t.”

       The Board of Ethics would not be able to require other town bodies-such as the Council and Board of Education-to â€"agree” with its ruling or impose sanctions, Silver said.

       â€"That’s controversial,” he said. â€"That would negate the power of the Council to make a ruling.”

       The Commission is also proposing that the Parks and Recreation Board become a policy-making body. The Board currently serves in an advisory capacity. Silver said the current charter language as to the scope of its power is somewhat â€"inconsistent”, and that members of the Board expressed a desire to remain an advisory body. But the Commission’s vote was to give it policy oversight.

       â€"The Commission felt that boards and commissions should have more authority,” Silver said.

       Other residents expressed a desire to see term limits for members of the Council, as well as boards and commissions.

       Another issue that came up at the hearing was the budgetary process. Resident Robert Young said that he would like to see that done through a referendum process. He suggested a paper ballot on which residents can voice whether they would like to see the proposed figure go up or down, in addition to voting Yes or No on it.

       Former Deputy Mayor John Console called for mayoral elections. Currently, the chief elected official is appointed from within the majority party.
MORE WETHERSFIELD NEWS  |  STORY BY MARK DIPAOLA  |  Jun 30 2015  |  COMMENTS?