GENERAL PROVISIONS
Section l Charter amendment
7-1-1 This Charter may be replaced, revised or amended in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution of the Commonwealth and general law.
Section 2 Specific provisions to prevail
7-2-1 To the extent that any specific provision of this Charter shall conflict with any general provision thereof, the specific provision shall prevail.
Section 3 Severability of Charter
7-3-1 The provisions of this Charter are severable. If any provision of this Charter is held invalid, the remaining Charter provisions shall not be affected thereby. If the application of the Charter or any of its provisions to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the application of this Charter and its provisions to other persons and circumstances shall not be affected thereby. Section 4 Town boards, commissions and committees
Section 4 Town Boards, commissions and committees
7-4-1 A1l boards, commissions and committees of the Town shall organize annually and elect a Chairman and other necessary officers, establish a majority quorum requirement for meetings, adopt rules of procedure and voting and maintain a journal of proceedings, copies of which shall be a public record signed by the Clerk of each board and filed regularly with the Town Clerk. All such boards shall conduct their meetings in accordance with the open meeting provisions of general law.
Section 5 Counting of days
7-5-1 In counting days under this Charter, every calendar day shall be counted, including Sundays and all holidays.
Section 6 Phasing of terms
7-6-1 Elections and appointments to boards, commissions and committees consisting of more than one (1) member and terms of office greater than one (1) year shall be made so that terms overlap. Terms of an equal, or as nearly equal as may be, number of board, commission or committee members shall expire each year.
Section 7 Suspensions and removals
7-7-1 Except as otherwise may be provided by this Charter, collective-bargaining agreements or applicable civil service and tenure provisions, appointing authorities under this Charter shall have the power to suspend or remove from office, for good cause, salaried officials and employees under their jurisdiction.
7-7-2 Good cause shall include, but shall not be limited to, inefficiency, incapacity other than temporary illness, insubordination or conduct unbecoming the officer.
7-7-3 Suspension shall be ordered by the appointing authority only if deemed necessary to protect the best interests of the Town and for no longer than fifteen (15) days.
7-7-4 Removal proceedings shall be as follows: (a) a written notice of intent to remove, together with a statement of the cause or causes therefor, shall be delivered by registered mail to the last known address of the person sought to be removed; (b) within seven (7) days following receipt of said written notice, the officer or employee shall have the right to request a public hearing before the appointing authority which shall be held within fourteen (14) days after such request is made; (c) at any such hearing, the officer or employee shall have the right to be represented by counsel, present evidence, call witnesses and question any witness; and (d) final action shall be taken by the appointing authority within five (5) days following the date of such public hearing or, if no hearing is requested, within five (5) days
after delivery of the notice of intent to remove.
7-7-5 Nothing in this section shall be construed as granting hearing rights to any person holding a fixed-term appointment whose term has expired without reappointment.
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