Warren voters approve every proposed charter change

From re-naming fire department to changing town manager's powers, changes effect nearly all facets of town government

By Ted Hayes
Posted 11/9/16

Warren voters were in a generous mood Tuesday, approving all 19 proposed changes to the Warren Town Charter. Following are the official numbers, and what each change represents: Ballot question 9: …

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Warren voters approve every proposed charter change

From re-naming fire department to changing town manager's powers, changes effect nearly all facets of town government

Posted

Warren voters were in a generous mood Tuesday, approving all 19 proposed changes to the Warren Town Charter. Following are the official numbers, and what each change represents:
Ballot question 9: Council terms (2,655 to 1,452)
The first question asks if council members should serve four-year staggered terms. Currently, all five are elected every two years, but commission members said they sought the change to help councilors get more done. Several commission members said they’d heard from former councilors that it usually takes them a year to get situated, and by then it’s almost time to think about running for re-election. Giving longer terms will help keep consistency and knowledge on the council, they said.
Ballot question 10: Council terms (3,184 to 981)
This associated question asks if residents approve councilors serving no more than eight years consecutively.
Ballot question 11: Council powers and duties (2,225 to 1,866)
This question deals with duties of not just the council, but of the town manager. It authorizes the town manager to enter into some contracts on behalf of the town without council ratification, except for those that involve union matters and real estate. Further, it allows the manager to make competitive bidding-based expenditures of less than $25,000, match grants of $25,000 or less, and make capital expenditures of more than $100,000, without council ratification.
This section changed after town council review, commission members said, and during a conference call with the Warren Times before the election three said they would likely vote against the recommendation as prepared by the council. At issue, they said, was the removal of the phrase “subject to budgetary control and ratification by the council.” Their fear, several said, was that it would take away councilor control of many expenditures.
However, councilor Steve Thompson said the council took the phrase out for efficiency’s sake:
“These expenses were all viewed as things that we would budget for anyway,” he said. “So the feeling was these are expenses we’ve already approved and things that have already gone through a public process. We spend a lot of council time rehashing things we’ve already approved, and we pay the manager to manage. He or she should have the ability to do that without coming back for things” that were already approved during the budgeting process.
Ballot question 12: Town manager (2,921 to 1,302)
This question allows the Warren Town Manager to live outside of Warren. Commission members said that the change was recommended in part by the town’s experiences in past town manager searches. Having the residency requirement in place, they said, would “help expand the pool of applicants.”
Ballot question 13: Town manager (3,007 to 1,076)
Sections of this recommendation further define the roles and responsibilities of the town manager, deleting aspirational goals listed in the charter and spelling out other responsibilities including that the manager shall oversee the disposal and sale of surplus equipment, submit a five-year capital improvement plan to the council, and delete a provision that the manager will oversee day to day operations of the sewer system. In reality, charter members said, many recommendations are already being carried out and have been for some time; writing them into the charter streamlines the process and puts it all in writing.
Ballot question 14: Competitive bidding (2,968 to 1,031)
This change brings Warren into official compliance with state law over competitive bidding. It requires the town in writing to use competitive bidding on items that cost $10,000 (construction costs), and $5,000 for small purchases.
Ballot question 15: Department of finance (2,951 to 1,042)
This question creates an Office of Tax Assessment separate from the Department of Finance. In the present charter the tax assessor serves under the department of finance; the question would split them. In addition, it codifies many duties already being undertaken by the treasurer/tax collector.
Ballot question 16: Town clerk (3,226 to 877)
Many of the commission’s recommendations modify the job requirements for town officials, including education, past experience and memberships. This is one of those, in that it spells out minimum qualifications for the clerk.
Ballot question 17: Town clerk (3,201 to 826)
This is a continuation of Question 16, and also requires the clerk to attain certification as a Certified Municipal Clerk (CMC) within four years of taking the job. In addition, the deputy clerk will now have the same qualifications as the clerk, except that past prior assistant or deputy clerk experience is not necessary.
Ballot question 18: Planning (3,174 to 841)
Continuing on with the codification of job requirements, this question spells out that the town’s planner will now be re-named the “Director of Planning and Community Development.” It also notes that membership in the American Institute of Planning is preferred. Duties will include serving as a point of contact, providing technical information, overseeing grants, and developing tools to enhance public awareness and access to information.
Ballot question 19: Public works 3,236 to 820)
Like other questions, this codifies the responsibilities of the Director of Public Works. In this area, as with the police and fire chief, a clause is added which specifies that the director shall not be employed elsewhere during his/her service to the town. Commission members said they wanted it written that department heads needed in times of emergency should not have other employment, so they are always available.
Ballot question 20: Public safety (3,314 to 768)
The big change in this question is the official renaming of the fire department to the “Fire and Rescue Department.” Warren Fire Chief Al Galinelli said prior to the vote that he supports the change; in reality, he said, the department has been combined for some time, just not on paper. Further, he said he supports another aspect of this question, which would require representation from all fire companies and the rescue squad on the Board of Fire Engineers.
“It’s a little bit of clarity,” said the chief of the name change. “I know people get upset about renaming the department but it’s not renaming, it’s clarifying and streamlining it.”
Ballot question 21: Parks and Recreation (3,156 to 943)
This question would create a Department of Public Works. Past practice has been that the department is treated more like a board within town government. If passed, the recreation director would be treated like other department heads.
Commission members said they needed a new director to oversee the department’s increased activity.
Ballot question 22: Wastewater management (2,459 to 1,506)
For years, the wastewater treatment plant has been run by an outside firm supervised by the town. If the question passes, the council and manager would have the discretion to create a separate Department of Wastewater Management or similar department within the DPW.
Ballot question 23: Harbormaster and Harbor Management (2,436 to 1,494)
This change would make the harbormaster answerable to the town manager, not the town council. This brings the position in line with other officials, charter commission members said, and streamlines government.
Ballot question 24: Boards and commissions (3,048 to 834)
This question streamlines rules and regulations for the town’s boards and commissions, and also spells out attendance requirements for board and commission members. Some boards had attendance problems in recent years and commission members said they wanted to be specific on expectations for volunteers.
Ballot question 25: Certain town offices and boards (2,911 to 950)
The biggest part of this question concerns the elimination of the sealer of weights and measures. This position is not needed as those duties are now filled by the state. In addition, the question allows council members to appoint vacancies on the planning board and water authority. Finally, references to the Warren Housing Authority, which is not a town authority, are removed.
Ballot question 26: Budget: (2,472 to 1,424)
This question removes the Financial Town Meeting as the town’s main means of setting the budget.
Faced with declining attendance at the annual meeting and fewer and fewer quorums from year to year, charter commission members said they heard from, and agreed with, many officials who said the meeting had outlived its usefulness. However, the change, if approved, would still give residents say in how their budget is prepared and approved.
Instead of a one-night meeting, the budget will be voted on subject to a voter referendum on any petition to alter the council’s budget, if the petition contains 375 or more signatures — three times the number of electors required for a quorum at the financial town meeting.
Ballot question 27: Non-substantive changes (3,099 to 827)
This is a housekeeping questions which would allow the charter to be amended, with council approval, in correcting grammatical errors and readability.

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