5.15.2023 Special City Charter Commission

Fall River Government TV May 16, 2023 YouTube Report Issue

The Special City Charter Commission held a meeting on May 15, 2023, to review several sections of the city charter. The committee approved the minutes from the May 8, 2023 meeting. Key discussions revolved around limitations on office holding (Section 9-12), felony convictions (Section 9-13), enforcement of charter provisions (Section 9-14), eligibility for health insurance (Section 9-19), disposition of certain special laws (Section 10-4), and the time of taking effect (Section 10-5). The committee voted to amend Section 9-12 to mirror language in Sections 2-3 and 4-3 regarding city council and school committee prohibitions. Section 9-13 was amended to clarify that vacation of office due to a felony conviction takes effect "from the date of conviction." A significant discussion occurred on Section 9-14, leading to a decision to create a multi-tiered enforcement process involving formal notice, a new three-member Charter Grievance Committee (with public meetings and comment), and finally, recourse to Chapter 231a of the General Laws for declaratory judgment. Section 9-19, concerning health insurance eligibility for elected officials, was tabled pending further information from HR regarding part-time employee benefits and options for full premium payment. The committee also voted to strike Section 10-4, which listed repealed special acts, deeming it no longer relevant. Finally, Section 10-5, which detailed the charter's effective dates, was amended to assign the task of reviewing city ordinances for compliance with the charter to the existing city ordinance committee, rather than a special committee as originally stipulated in subsection M.

AI-generated summary. May contain errors. Watch the video to verify.