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Cromwell Charter Revision Commission elects officers, sets Sept. 5 deadline and bans virtual attendance
Summary
At a May 29 special meeting, the Cromwell Charter Revision Commission elected Mike Cannata as chair and Marie Roberto as vice chair, set a twice‑monthly meeting schedule and a Sept. 5 deadline for draft charter revisions, and agreed there will be no virtual attendance.
The Town of Cromwell Charter Revision Commission elected Mike Cannata chair and Marie Roberto vice chair at a special meeting on May 29 and set a timeline to complete proposed charter revisions before the upcoming election cycle.
A motion by Marie Roberto to nominate Mike Cannata as chair passed unanimously, seconded by Anthony LaCava. Following that vote, Cannata moved to nominate Roberto as vice chair; Julius Neto seconded and the motion passed. The meeting opened at 6:31 p.m. with seven members present; Douglas Whinnem and Matthew Brown were absent.
Cannata distributed a printed PDF from the CCM website titled “Basic Steps for Revising or Developing a Municipal Charter” and reviewed the charter‑revision process. He told commissioners that substantive revision work cannot begin until after the first public hearing, which the commission agreed to schedule as soon as permitted under state statute to leave adequate time for edits before the Sept. 5 deadline, when the commission plans to forward a draft to the Town Council for approval and a subsequent public vote.
The panel agreed to meet twice monthly on the first and third Wednesdays at Town Hall beginning June 18, with meetings starting at 6:30 p.m. and a target end time of about 9:00 p.m. Cannata reminded members that the commission requires a minimum of five members present for a quorum. When James Rude asked about remote participation, the commission agreed there will be no virtual option; members must attend in person and should notify the Town Manager's staff if they cannot attend.
Commissioners also discussed how to request Town staff and the Town Attorney to attend meetings; Cannata said all such requests must go through the Town Manager. He advised members not to use “Reply all” when corresponding with Town Manager’s staff and cautioned that any discussion among more than two commissioners outside scheduled meetings could constitute an illegal meeting under open‑meeting rules.
The meeting adjourned at 6:50 p.m. The commission asked members to review the charter independently between meetings and bring questions and suggestions to the next scheduled session. The minutes were signed by Cassidy Nimmons, Recording Secretary.
