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West Haven council makes charter amendment effective and votes to form charter revision commission
Summary
The City Council voted unanimously Feb. 9 to make a previously adopted charter amendment effective immediately and to authorize a seven-member charter revision commission; the mayor outlined a timeline for nominations and outside counsel to support the commission.
At its Feb. 9 meeting the West Haven City Council unanimously approved a statutory resolution making a charter amendment (changes to chapter 19, parts A–C) effective that night. Attorney Paul Dorsy explained the move is largely housekeeping to satisfy statutory timing and Secretary of the State guidance; the motion was moved by Councilman Peter Rivera and seconded by Councilman Edward McMillan and carried on a roll-call vote.
The council also voted to authorize the creation of a charter revision commission under Connecticut General Statute §7-188B. Mayor Derinda Bor described the commission’s intended scope — updating outdated titles, clarifying financial and organizational processes and exploring options such as regional health departments — and said she will submit candidate recommendations to the council. The mayor asked council members and the public to submit names to the secretary within two weeks so the council can appoint the commission by March 11.
Attorney Dorsy said the commission will be limited in membership (statute permits no more than one-third holding public office and other constraints) and outside counsel (identified as Steve Mennik) will present to the commission on process and scope. The council set a 30-day timeline from initiation for formal appointments and asked staff to circulate a curated nomination list for vetting.
Council members asked for clarification on whether “holding public office” includes appointed officials; the attorneys said the phrase is commonly read to mean elected office but offered to provide a definitive interpretation to the council soon. Mayor Bor said the commission should be manageable in size and focused on a small set of charter areas rather than a broad overhaul.
