Mashpee Charter Commission

Present: R. Halpern, R. Maney, C. Gasior, D. Arden, and W. Freeman.

Absent: E. Larkin, J. Bacigalupi, C. Bowmar-Perry, and J. Blumengarten.

Invited participants: Attorney Mike Curran, Consultant.

Audience: None.

A quorum being present, Dean Arden, Vice Chairman, called the meeting to order at 7:10 p.m.

Approval of Minutes

Ruth Maney motioned to accept the minutes of February 20, 2003 as presented; this motion was seconded by Richard Halpern and was unanimously approved, except Chuck Gasior, who abstained.

Discussion

For the Commission’s information, Mike Curran distributed excerpts from Massachusetts Collective Bargaining Statute and they had a brief discussion on this topic.

Legislative and Executive Branch Issues

Mike Curran prepared and distributed 2 draft documents…One draft document is the existing Mashpee Charter Legislative Branch portion; and the other draft document was offered as a “model” of wording used in another community’s Legislative Branch portion of their charter.

Mike and the Commissioners reviewed and discussed in detail “model” sections covering

• Composition of the Town Meeting.
• Time of Town Meeting.
• Presiding Officer (Moderator).
• Committees, in General, and Finance Committee. (Discussed budgeting/Finance process.)
• Special Meeting.
• Warrants.
• Initiation of Warrant Articles (Paragraphs a, b, and c.).
• Availability of town Officials at Town Meeting.
• Action on Warrant Articles. (In the “model”, Mike noted that this “model” paragraph is a very involved and complex section and that he just wanted Commission to see what can go into a charter about how Town conducts its business.)

Next meeting…Thursday, April 10, 2003 at 7 p.m. at Town Hall. Topic: Executive/Administrative Office.

ADJOURNMENT

Ruth motioned to adjourn the meeting; Richard seconded the motion; and it was unanimously approved. The meeting adjourned at 8:55 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,
Jean Giliberti, Recording Secretary