Study committee discusses 9-member at-large council, staggered three-year terms and grandfathering for select board

The Town Council Study Committee on Jan. 22 reviewed the draft council–manager charter’s proposed council composition and transition provisions, focusing on a nine-member, at-large council with staggered three-year terms.

The meeting chair opened that segment by asking the group to “take the draft charter as it currently stands” and identify clauses requiring decisions. The chair summarized that section 2.1 proposes nine members elected at large, with terms staggered three years each after a transition period (Meeting chair).

Anthony, a Collins Center consultant, said the short answer is “yes” to the question whether current select board members could continue into the new council during a transition: “They can continue in their positions on the council,” he said, noting there are “a number of different ways you can structure the transition over.” Donna, a committee member, added: “I agree wholeheartedly. … I think it is very important that we offer the positions to the select board members and give them an opportunity to say yay or nay.”

Committee members discussed practical mechanics for staggering terms and the possibility of “grandfathering” existing select board members into some seats for the remainder of their terms. The Collins Center team said transition language will be drafted for the charter’s transition section and that the committee will revisit it in the next meeting; the consultants proposed offering current select board members the opportunity to take council seats as part of that transition section.

Why it matters: the committee is choosing structural rules that will determine the first council’s membership, how experience is retained across the change in government, and how initial elections are scheduled. Members noted that precise staggering (which seats get 1-, 2- or 3-year initial terms) will be worked out in the transition text so the new cycle yields the intended three-year stagger.

Votes at a glance

- Motion to accept the meeting agenda: moved, seconded, approved by voice vote (all in favor). (See actions[] for motion details.) - Motion to accept minutes from Dec. 4: moved by Eddie, seconded by K.; approved by voice vote (all in favor). - Motion to adjourn: moved and seconded; approved by voice vote (all in favor).

Discussion vs. decision (from transcript): the committee reached no final charter language in this meeting; instead members agreed to direct the Collins Center to draft transition language offering current select board members an opportunity to continue on the initial council and to return the transition text for committee review at the next meeting.

Ending note: the Collins Center will prepare transition-section language covering grandfathering/rollover and staggering; the committee scheduled the transition-section review for the next meeting.