CHESTER

The Chester Charter Commission held its first public meeting at Town Hall on June 21 and outlined its mission, goals, and key dates over the next year in developing a report for rearranging the town government structure.

Commissioners walked a small audience of citizens through the components of a charter government and how it differs from a non-charter municipality like Chester, which is required to operate under state home rules outlined in the Connecticut Constitution. Commission members also discussed some key findings in the extensive Governance Study Committee Report that initiated the commission’s formation.

The Charter Commission is tasked with identifying and analyzing “alternative governance structures for the purpose of improving the Town’s ability to proactively plan and manage its affairs” based on discoveries in the Governance Study Committee Report, including vacancies across town boards and commissions, high turnover rates in town official personnel, low public participation in municipal affairs, and an overall increased complexity in managing town business. According to commissioners, drafting a charter provision to muster an alternative government for Chester should assuage those and multiple other issues in the report.

According to Town Attorney Richard Roberts, a draft report is due to the Board of Selectmen (BOS) by April 1, 2024. Once that report is completed, the BOS is expected to hold at least one public meeting. Following that meeting, the BOS will forward any revisions and recommendations back to the Charter Commission, and a final draft is required to be submitted by June 29, 2024.

Roberts encouraged commissioners to take the process very carefully but also to make sure the April 2024 deadline does not suddenly creep up on them.

“My advice would be to remain diligent throughout the whole process, keeping an eye on where you are in the calendar with respect to the target date of April 1 for a draft report.”

He suggested the commission establish a “reasonable but aggressive” schedule to work both carefully and efficiently through the drafting of a charter, as to hopefully avoid the need to jam “multiple meetings during your last month just to accommodate the deadline.”

The BOS must approve or reject some or all of the proposed charter provisions by July 14, 2024. According to Commission Chair Richard Strauss, approval would mean the questions regarding its adoption will move forward as a referendum item on the ballot on election day, Nov. 5, 2024. He said having the charter on the ballot is a necessary step for it to be officially adopted by the town.

“If the proposed charter provisions are rejected by the BOS, then the only way that a referendum for adoption on the rejected provisions of the proposed charter can be held is for a petition calling for a referendum to be submitted,” said Strauss. The deadline for a petition to the town is Aug. 29, 2024.

A slide from the commission’s presentation to the audience of citizens said the following in summation of the study: “Our hope is that this study’s well-researched information will be meaningful and helpful to the Town’s leadership and residents in determining the best course of action that will benefit and sustain Chester — now and well into the future.”

Questions from the audience of citizens revolved around the effectiveness of a charter government structure to better manage town affairs, its impact on the financial side of those affairs, and to fulfill persistent vacancies on town boards and commissions frequently referenced a major issue in the government study.

One of the commission’s goals is to establish an expanded Board of Selectmen with legislative power not beholden to a vote by town electors. This while having a “town administrator” in the executive seat, a role that would work under the supervision of the expanded legislative branch. Strauss said this approach, which specifically in Chester’s case would also involve a first selectman who acts as a “CEO” for the town with responsibilities designated by the new BOS, could have the benefit of having a chief executive officer “embedded in the community.”

He said, “You have as your CEO someone who is within the community and has knowledge about the day-to-day operations, but you’re not turning over the keys. Town administrators may come and go, but you have your first selectperson…if you had an expanded Board of Selectmen you have back up and staggered terms…to address the issue of continuity.”

Regarding the economic impact of a governmental shift in managing fiscal affairs, the commission said the town of Clinton has not seen negative results since its shift from a state statute government to a charter municipality in 2019.

The commission has meetings scheduled for Thursday, July 6, and Tuesday, July 25. Both meetings can be attended in person at the town hall and online. During the July 6 meeting, the commission will learn more about the professional management aspects of a charter government from Matt Hart, the executive director of the Capital Region Council of Governments, Connecticut’s largest regional planning organization. At the July 25 meeting, the commission will get a visit from former and current Portland First Selectmen Susan Bransfield and Ryan Curly, respectively, which will “form the foundation for the commission to begin its deliberations and try to reach consensus on the large issues we’re facing,” said Strauss.