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Committee launches review of outdated town code, flags personnel chapter and legal support needs
Summary
The bylaws committee flagged about a dozen sections of the town code for review, identified Chapter 44 (personnel policy) as a priority for alignment with employee handbook and Board of Selectmen responsibilities, and discussed legal resources and a plan to divide work among subgroups.
After finishing the leaf-blower discussion, the committee turned to a broader review of the town code following recommendations from the Charter Review Commission.
Chair Hillary Ormond said the CRC submitted a 13-item list of possible code updates and noted many ordinances date from the 1930s–1960s and need modernization. The committee identified chapter 44 (personnel policy) as a priority; staff recommended moving most personnel rules to Board of Selectmen policy and retaining only the OPEB trust requirement in the town code.
Members discussed logistics and legal support. Several members urged using town legal counsel for written guidance and suggested sending consolidated questions rather than piecemeal emails, citing prior delays when the CRC sought outside counsel. One member suggested dividing the code into subgroups to make the workload manageable.
Committee members discussed timing and budget for legal review. Chair Ormond said she expects the town attorney to be involved within the committee’s retainer for ordinances, but members asked staff to confirm procedures for submitting consolidated questions. The committee agreed to invite the Charter Review Commission to present its recommendations and to consider forming subgroups to tackle portions of the code.
What happens next: the committee will have the CRC present its recommendations, circulate relevant memos and redlines for Chapter 44, and discuss forming small subgroups and the legal-submission process at a follow-up meeting.
