Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Charter Recommendations topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
West Haven charter commission approves bulk of council suggestions, keeps several items open
Summary
The West Haven Charter Revision Commission voted July 1 to accept a large bundle of City Council recommendations to the draft charter while leaving a handful of items for further discussion; it also approved language designating certain mayoral appointees to "serve at the pleasure of the mayor."
The West Haven Charter Revision Commission on July 1 voted to accept most of the City Council's suggested edits to the draft revised city charter while reserving several contested items for additional review.
At the start of the meeting, the commission voted to approve the minutes from its previous session. Later, members approved an omnibus motion that adopted a long list of numbered recommendations returned by the council while excluding items the commission still considers open (items 3, 4, 11, 32, 39 and 46). The omnibus motion was moved and seconded and carried with no recorded opposition.
Why it matters: adopting the council's suggested edits in bulk narrows the slate of unresolved issues the commission must resolve before returning a final report to the council for a yes-or-no action. The commission has a statutory window to transmit its final report and the council then has a limited period to accept or reject it.
The commission also addressed the specific wording for mayoral appointments (recommendation 32). Members voted to adopt the phrase "serve at the pleasure of the mayor" for those appointments; the commission noted that language reflects current practice and would take effect only if the revision package is approved by voters. Member Bridget Hoski moved to retain a separate personnel provision (item 11) as a catch-all for potential future employees; Vice Chair Leilani Perry seconded the motion, and it passed.
The commission's attorneys presented two working documents (a redline working copy that captures council recommendations and a draft final report) and explained that this meeting was the last opportunity to change charter text before transmission to the council. Commissioners agreed to one more meeting to resolve outstanding issues and to coordinate timing with City Council leadership so the council can meet required filing deadlines.
What's next: the commission scheduled a follow-up meeting for Tuesday, July 7 to finalize the remaining open items and then will prepare a final transmittal to the City Council.
Attributions: Quotations and attributions in this article are drawn from statements by meeting participants recorded during the commission's July 1 session. The first references to named participants use the form shown in the transcript: Chairman Arthur Kelly; Commissioner Bridget Hoski; Commissioner Robera Garlock; Commissioner Arthur Gilbert; Commissioner Tony Mancini; Vice Chair Leilani Perry; and the commission's attorney.
