March 17, 2008

Charter hearing on Tuesday night

A proposal to add a chief operating officer to the city government’s permanent structure is among a handful of issues on the agenda for what may be the final public hearing of the Charter Revision Commission Tuesday.
The panel’s chairman, Tim Furey, said Monday that he expects to hear from residents and city officials who want to weigh in a four primary issues where the commission is eyeing changes to the city government’s blueprint.
The most controversial suggestion is to add a chief operating officer who would take over many of the administrative duties that are currently handled by the city’s full-time elected mayor.
The city manager-lite proposal dodges the need to overhaul the entire structure of Bristol’s government while providing what some see as a need for more oversight and continuity in municipal affairs.
“It is clear the current design of the mayor/council form of government is lacking in administrative consistency there is value to having an elected municipal leader. We felt strongly as a group that the duties of the mayor are too demanding and leave little time for appropriate strategic planning and promotion of the City,” according to the panel’s draft report.
Another controversial measure the commission plans to recommend to city councilors that they support changing the part-time treasurer’s post from an elected to appointed one.
Furey said the commission will review the suggestions it hears at tonight’s hearing next week before preparing the final report it has to submit to the City Council by April 4.
The hearing is slated for 7 p.m. Tuesday in the meeting room at City Hall.
Thanks to Furey's willingness to send me copies, I have PDFs of several draft documents that the commission is looking at that detail its findings and recommendations. They may well be changed before they are submitted to the City Council, but here they are in current form:

Draft report - Final report of the Charter Revision Commission

Draft report - Citing major changes eyed by the commission

Draft Report - Showing entire charter with changes indicated throughout

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Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Kosta had this job during the Couture administration and the GOP was furious about it. Now the Charter wants to hire someone for it again?

Where is the GOP now?

Anonymous said...

What GOP????

Anonymous said...

To 1:20 PM poster: nice try, but comparing Kosta's job during the Couture administration to the proposed position of Chief Operating Officer is like comparing a fast-food joint to an upscale, white-tablecloth restaurant. Yeah, they both serve food, but beyond that...well, maybe even you can figure out the difference.

Anonymous said...

SPEAKING OF NEW JOBS AND APPOINTMENTS I SEE THE MR. WARD APPOINTED ED D'AMATO AS POLICE COMM. HE DOES NOT LIVE IN BRISTOL SO WHY WAS THE POSITION GIVING TO A RESIDENT DOES ARTIE THINK NO ONE IS SMART ENOUGH FROM TIME OR IS IT THE CONTRACTOR FAVOR TIME.

Anonymous said...

Briatol is a great town, and there are some wonderful people here.
However, as good as Ed D. is, I qusestion where his priorities lie, just as one has to question the priorities of the other major contractor in the city who was on the Police Board.

But then, this is how Artie gets ahead (or moves forward).

Anonymous said...

Wonder how long it will take for Mr. D. to weigh in on the school site issue now??

Anonymous said...

ED D'AMATO AS POLICE COMM. HE DOES NOT LIVE IN BRISTOL

He lives in Bristol. He lives in Florida only a few months out of the year. Snow bird.

Anonymous said...

The Good Old Boy network is in full bloom!

Anonymous said...

Good: we will have 8 mayors instead of the 7 we now have.

No wonder nothing is getting done.

Anonymous said...

Actually 9, you forgot Leone!!!

Anonymous said...

And Klocko makes 10.....

Anonymous said...

Is thayt Glen or Glenn?