Charter Review Commission

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving weekend. Below is an article from today's KC Times on the newly formed Charter Review Commission. I am honored to be named as one of the board members. The charter states that we have six months to conduct our work (section 15.20, p. 42), not nine as shown in the article. We will do our best to review the charter and recommend to the Town Council changes that will improve this document which we hope will improve the way our local government operates. The commission will hold meetings on a regular basis and these will be open to the public. I will advise what the meeting dates are as soon as I know them. I encourage you all to come to the meetings so we can get your input.

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Charter review group up and running


Sunday, 29 November 2009




HANNAH PIECUCH


hpiecuch@ricentral.com



COVENTRY — After a longer delay than the council would have liked, the charter review commission is ready to go, after all nine members were appointed at the Monday town council meeting.

The nine applicants display a broad range of capabilities and experience and Town Council President Raymond Spear said that he was very pleased to announce their appointment.

Joel Johnson, Harold Trafford Jr., Ann Dickson, Wayne Asselin, Robert Thibeault, James Sullivan, Gregory Laboissonniere, Joy Martin and William Wolfe were all sworn in on the spot in the town council chambers.


“I personally know most of these people,” said Councilman Glenford Shibley at the meeting, visibly pleased. “The town will be in good hands with them as the charter review commission.”

Town Manager Thomas Hoover will be an ex-officio member, added Town Solicitor Patrick Rogers, as well as a liaison to the council.

“I welcome you all,” Spear said. “You will have access to the building so you can meet — the manager will arrange that. And you are now eligible to proceed immediately, organize yourself, pick a chairperson and we’ll look forward to some nice work.”

The council has indicated that there are a few particular things that they would like to see the commission review, Spear added.

“We will be anxiously awaiting your progress.”

The Coventry Town Charter allows nine months for the review commission to meet and come up with recommendations for the town council.

“With nine months, I’m inclined to think you’ll have no problem,” Spear said.

Filling the commission did take longer than he thought it would, Spear admitted on Tuesday. While he was very pleased with the nine applicants for the commission, they were the only applicants who applied.

In the meantime, the council has been trying to keep other boards and commissions up to date, Spear added, and the number of open seats is creeping up again.

There are positions remaining on the redevelopment agency, the Pawtuxet River authority, the sewer assessment board, the tax assessment board of review and the Coventry land trust, and two new positions open due to resignations on the juvenile hearing board and the housing authority.

“It’s harder than I thought it would be,” he said. “It’s not that we’re necessarily neglecting people that applied — we’ve appointed everyone we could and now we’re looking for more applicants.”

For more information about the openings on boards and commissions as well as the applications visit the town Web site at http://town.coventry.ri.us/, or call the town clerk’s office at 822-9173.