In a first step toward the possibility of updating part of the town charter, the Town Council has approved a charter revision calendar. The council will appoint a revision commission at a meeting on Wednesday, July 6.

Over the last three months, the Town Council has been talking whether certain sections of the charter should be updated. The town charter essentially operates as the constitution for the town. It outlines the roles and bylaws for the different boards, commissions, and town departments in Clinton as well as detailing the various ordinances in town.

At its May 18 meeting, the council approved a timeline for the charter revision process.

The first step will take place July 6 when the council will appoint the members to serve on the Charter Revision Commission (CRC) and give the CRC its formal charge. Those interested in serving on the CRC can apply on the town website clintonct.org.

In early August, before beginning any work, the CRC will hold a hearing to get public feedback on any proposals for changes from the public. The CRC then works on revising the charter from August to December.

In early January 2023, the CRC will hold a public hearing on a proposed draft of changes and then the draft will be turned over to the Town Council for review.

The council will hold another public hearing on the charter in February. In early March the council may ask for more changes to the proposed charter, in which case the CRC will have 30 days to address the council recommendations. If there are no recommendations, the draft becomes final.

In April, the Town Council will vote to either approve or reject the proposed charter changes. Assuming the proposed changes are approved, the council has 15 months to get the public to weigh in on the proposed changes. However, it is most likely that any proposed changes to the charter will be on the ballot as part of the 2023 municipal elections.

For most of the last 20 years, most of the CRC-recommended charges were fairly simple and nothing too controversial. That changed the last time the town appointed a CRC in 2018. That year the CRC delivered a proposed a major charter revision that changed the form of government from the board of selectman model to the current town manager-town council model. Citizens approved the proposed change in November 2018 and the new government went into effect in November 2019.

The charter requires the town to no less than every five years appoint a CRC to study the document to see if any changes need to be made. But, given the large change in government structure that the town underwent, it was suggested by other towns’ town managers that Clinton appoint a new CRC about sooner than that to work out any issues that council members may have noticed.

In March the council held a workshop to discuss a list of potential items in the charter that a CRC would look at. The council came up with a list of about 12 different possible changes with a handful of proposals that would be significant changes.

The most significant proposed change the council is asking for is the ability to hire a town manager for a term of longer than three years. Other major proposed changes included raising the amount of money the town can appropriate without holding a referendum and the cancellation of the required annual town meeting.

The charges the CRC will need to address will be formalized at the July 6 Town Council meeting. By statute, the CRC would need to weigh in on whatever the council asks it to, but the commission can also consider further changes.