Reprinted from The Trumbull Times © Copyright 2010
April 29, 2010

By Donald Eng

First Selectman Tim Herbst has proposed a sweeping series of changes to the Town Charter, including the elimination of several town commissions and consolidating several others.

In a presentation to the Charter Revision Committee, Herbst outlined more than 20 specific changes to the document, and he promised more to come over the next 10 months as the committee deliberates.

The committee is scheduled to submit its preliminary report in February 2011.

Among the recommendations Herbst has endorsed are the extension of the first selectman's term to four years, the consolidation of school building maintenance into the Public Works Department and the elimination of the Personnel Appeals Board and Jury Commission.

"I want Ralph Iassogna and the Board of Education spending their time educating our children, not maintaining buildings," Herbst said. "This would represent substantial savings to the town by eliminating an unnecessary level of bureaucracy."

Also, he said the Department of Economic Development, consisting of a director of economic development working with a volunteer Economic Development Commission, should be expanded to include community development in its mission.

The newly created Department of Economic and Community Development would oversee the town planner and chief building official.

"This would not add positions but simply reorganize," he said. "These critical functions must rely on a clearly delineated chain of command."

As to the boards he recommended eliminating, Herbst was blunt.

"I couldn't even tell you what some of these commissions do," he said.

For example, the Civil Defense Commission, according to the Town Charter, is "an advisory council" with a director appointed by the first selectman. Thecharter does not define any role for the commission.

"Why do we need a commission that has no responsibility for anything?" Herbst asked.

Similarly, the Jury Commission, as described in Chapter 7, Section 16, "shall have the powers and duties prescribed for Jury Commissions." Essentially, the charter mandates the creation of a Jury Commission to serve as a Jury Commission.

"Can anyone tell me what that means?" Herbst asked.

Finally, the Personnel Appeals Board has not met in at least 11 years, Herbst said. One person listed as a board member moved to Easton several years ago.

He also proposed consolidating the Inland Wetlands Commission and Conservation Commission and consolidating the Parks Commission, Youth Commission and Recreation Commission into one Parks and Recreation Commission.

Further, he said the Water Pollution Control Authority, which oversaw the Jog Hill Road and Daniels Farm Road sewer expansion, was sufficiently important that the charter should require the Town Council to approve nominees.

In order, Herbst's other suggestions were to extend the terms of the first selectman, town clerk and town treasurer from two years to four and to specify the town treasurer as the replacement in the event the first selectman is out of town or otherwise unable to perform his duties.

Currently, the charter names the finance director as the direct successor. Herbst suggested making the order of succession run town treasurer, town clerk, Town Council chairman.

"The line of succession should be a resident of the town, elected by the voters," he said.

The charter should also be revised to allow the town attorneys to name associates from their firms to act on their behalf, Herbst said. Currently should one of the three town attorneys be unavailable, another of the three would fill in. That could be a problem since the replacement is unlikely to be familiar with the specifics of the case, Herbst said.

The budget made up the bulk of Herbst's remaining recommendations. First, he asked the committee to consider allowing a referendum if an annual budget exceeds the previous year's by some unspecified percent.

He further said the Town Council should be able to waive the referendum by a 2/3 vote. He also asked for changes in the first selectman's line-item veto power over the budget.

"Currently, if the first selectman vetoes a part of the budget that the Town Council passed, that line item reverts back to the funding level recommended by the Board of Finance," he said.

"The first selectman should have the ability to revert the item to his original proposal, not the level recommended by the Board of Finance," he said.