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Council adopts resolution after resident says city missed charter-mandated board review
Summary
Following a public comment alleging the city failed to appoint a required five-member charter review committee, the Fall River City Council passed a resolution directing the mayor to appoint the committee and to provide the missing report called for in the charter.
The Fall River City Council unanimously adopted a resolution directing the mayor’s attention to an apparent failure to comply with the city charter’s 10-year review requirement for boards and commissions.
Resident Michael Canuel told the council during public comment that Chapter C, Article 9, Section 9-15 of the Fall River charter requires a special five-member review committee to be appointed in years ending in "4," with a report to the city clerk due by April 1, 2025. Canuel said his inquiry with the city clerk’s office and the law department indicated no such committee was appointed and no report submitted, and he warned that the city was therefore out of compliance with the charter.
"That means the city is currently out of compliance with the Charter," Canuel told the council and said he had drafted a sample resolution to help move the process forward. Councilor Ponte responded on the floor that she appreciated Canuel's diligence and said she would review the draft and be willing to be part of a council effort to file such a resolution at the next meeting.
The council's resolution notes the charter timetable — appointment by Feb. 1, 2024 and a final report due by April 1, 2025 — and directs the mayor and council president to take immediate steps to appoint the required five-member committee. The resolution also requests the mayor, city clerk and law department provide any information the administration possesses about the missing review and asks for a copy of the resolution to be forwarded to those offices.
Councilors discussed the item briefly on the record and then adopted the resolution by voice vote. The resolution also references Section 9-14 (the mayor’s duty to ensure the charter is followed) and cites Section 2-10 regarding contracts given to department heads without council confirmation as an additional concern to be brought to the mayor’s attention.
The adopted resolution instructs the administration to appoint the review committee and to supply the council with any related documentation; councilors said they hope the move will restore the review process the charter envisions and improve oversight of boards and commissions.
