Selectman DELAY NAMING Charter Review Committee

As the Finance Committee was preparing to discuss who from their organization would represent them on the Charter Review Committee, local resident Scott Harker called their attention to the fact that according to Section 7.6 of the Charter, a Review Committee cannot convene until "immediately after the Spring Town Meeting."

Based upon this question, the Fin Com did not make a decision on their two designated members to join the Review Committee and referred the issue back to the Board of Selectmen for clarification.

At the Selectmen's meeting Monday night, Town Manager Mark Haddad advised the Board that Town Counsel recommended that they wait until after Spring Town Meeting for the convening of a Charter Review Committee.

According to the Charter, the Board of Selectmen have three designees, the Finance Committee has two, and the Groton-Duns table Regional School Committee and the Town Moderator, each have one.

The Selectmen saw no issue with having discussions about who those designees from each area might be, but that there could be no meeting until after the Spring Town Meeting.

Fin Com member Bud Robertson asked if there were any guidelines or skill sets that have been identified for these designees, pointing out that "This town is a $30M business and we need to think in that way."

Selectman Peter Cunningham pointed out that "We had experienced CEO's and businesspeople" on the original Blue Ribbon Governance Committee, that included Berta Erickson, Jane Allen and Steve Webber.

Selectman Jack Petropoulos added that he felt that guidelines on the best qualifications from which the Board could select "was not in the spirit of distribution."

Residents interested in serving on the Charter Review Committee should contact the individual board, committee or the Moderator to indicate their willingness to serve. Recommendations are due to the Board of Selectmen by April 1, 2015.