Simsbury selectmen review 2025 charter revision draft, ask commission to clarify several provisions

The Town of Simsbury Board of Selectmen reviewed the 2025 Charter Revision Commission draft report at a special meeting on March 9, 2026, and agreed on a set of targeted clarifications and follow-up questions to return to the commission.

Board members discussed numerous sections of the draft during the meeting in the Main Meeting Room of the Simsbury Town Offices. The Board asked the Charter Revision Commission to revisit language in Section 403 clarifying how Boards and Commissions may communicate with or direct staff and to tighten Section 404d language on the supervision of the Town Manager so it more clearly reflects the Board’s role "with the concurrence of the Board" or the majority will. Selectmen also discussed compensation language in Section 404a and, at the suggestion of Selectman Kevin Beal, agreed that the draft should include the phrase "as required by law" where the First Selectman’s compensation and benefit exemptions are described; Attorney Bob DeCrescenzo indicated agreement with that approach.

The Board debated whether certain boards and commissions — including the Economic Development Commission (EDC) — should remain in the charter or be moved to ordinance authority. After discussion, the Board chose to restore EDC language to the draft and asked the Charter Revision Commission to reexamine EDC placement and related wording. The board also reviewed proposed changes to appointment and election language, clarified that unaffiliated voters can serve on boards and commissions, accepted the commission’s recommendations on Land Use Boards (keeping them separate), and left most referendum-trigger and other election-related provisions unchanged for the time being.

The Board instructed the commission to add clarifying language for grant authority (Section 403c) so that the Selectmen may delegate grant-application authority to the Town Manager under defined criteria to allow time-sensitive applications to proceed. Mr. Nelson and staff said this clarification responds to recurring circumstances when rapid action is needed to meet application deadlines.

After reviewing the draft and identifying several places for clearer wording or capitalization corrections, Selectman Curtis Looney moved — and Selectman Diana Yeisley seconded — that the Board submit the recommendations discussed at the meeting to the Charter Revision Commission, subject to final review by members of the Board of Selectmen. The motion passed unanimously.

The Board’s next step is to forward these requests and proposed edits to the Charter Revision Commission for revision; once the commission issues a final report the Board may accept or reject parts of it, and the town could place referendum questions on the ballot as appropriate. Attorney DeCrescenzo advised the Board that referendum framing is the Board’s responsibility and noted that there are often multiple questions presented to voters.

The discussion and the Board’s direction were procedural; no final charter changes were adopted at the March 9 meeting.