The Charter Revision Commission reviewed a circulated draft of a proposed town charter and agreed to delay any vote after commissioners said they wanted more time to review redlines and to hear absent members. Speaker 3, Commission member, opened the agenda item by saying, “So next item on the agenda is to review and adopt the proposed charter,” noting Franklin had circulated the draft the previous day.

Commissioners spent the meeting working through wording choices and cross-references in multiple sections, debating when to use the phrase “board of selectmen” versus “selectmen” depending on whether a passage refers to the body or to individual members. Speaker 1, Commission member, argued the charter should retain “board of” where the text refers to the body and use “selectmen” only when referring to individuals.

The commission discussed possible effective dates if voters approve the charter by referendum. Commissioners suggested options including an effective date “the day after the election” or a set date in December 2026; Speaker 3 and others favored language that would make the charter effective promptly after voter approval so the new provisions cannot be delayed for an extended period.

Members also discussed procedural constraints and attendance: several commissioners who had attended most prior meetings were absent, and Speaker 1 said, “I don't think we should vote on it,” arguing the body should review a clean redline version and a clean copy before taking a formal vote. In light of those concerns, the commission agreed to postpone formal adoption and to finalize remaining edits before the next meeting.

To keep the process on schedule the commission set a Jan. 6 meeting to review and adopt (subject to any last edits) the draft report and to set a public hearing date. Commissioners agreed to hold a public hearing on or about Jan. 20 (the group discussed options for Zoom or in-person arrangements), after which materials would be transmitted to the board of selectmen unless additional changes were made.

Commission staff and members agreed to prepare both a redline (markup) and a clean final copy for distribution so commissioners and the public can easily see edits. The commission also discussed related calendar constraints and a Connecticut statute referenced in the meeting that defines a 16-month period tied to appointments; members planned to take steps before Jan. 23 to avoid any procedural challenge about the start date of that statutory period.

Next steps: the commission will circulate a clean copy and a redlined draft in advance of the Jan. 6 meeting, hold the public hearing around Jan. 20, and then transmit materials to the board of selectmen for the next stage of review.