§ 502. Town manager.

a.

The town manager shall be chosen exclusively on the basis of his or her executive and administrative qualifications, character and experience. At the time of his or her appointment the town manager need not be a resident of the town or of the state but the town manager shall reside in the town during his or her tenure of office. The town manager shall devote his or her full time to the duties of the office.

b.

The town manager shall be the chief executive officer of the town. The town manager shall be directly responsible to the council for the administration of all departments, agencies and offices, in charge of persons or boards appointed by the town manager, and shall supervise and direct the same. The town manager shall have the powers and duties now or hereafter conferred upon the chief executive offices of towns by the general statutes and in addition thereto the following specific powers and duties:

1.

To see that all laws and ordinances governing the town are faithfully executed;

2.

To make a monthly report to the council and to attend its meetings, with the right of full participation in all discussions but without the right to vote;

3.

To recommend to the council from time to time such measures for its adoption as the town manager may deem necessary or expedient;

4.

To keep the council fully advised as to the financial condition of the town;

5.

To prepare and submit to the council an annual budget as in this charter further provided; and

6.

To exercise such other powers and duties as may be required of him or her by the council not inconsistent with the provisions of this charter.

c.

The town manager shall be the purchasing agent of the town and all supplies, materials, equipment and other commodities required by any department, office, agency, board or commission of the town, except the board of education and the department of library services, shall be purchased through him on requisitions signed by the head of the department, office or agency or chairman of the board of commission and approved as to the sufficiency of funds by the director of finance. The town manager shall serve as purchasing agent for the board of education, and the department of library services if requested to do so by the chairperson of the board of education or the chairperson of the board of library directors.

Purchases shall be made in accordance with such rules and regulations as may be established by the council.

If any purchase or contract for purchasing, including a continuing order or contract for the purchase of the same commodity over a period of time, involves the expenditure of one tenth of one percent (.1%) of the total annual budget of the town for the current fiscal year or more, the town manager shall invite sealed bids or proposals, giving ten (10) days notice thereof by at least one publication in a newspaper having a circulation in the town, and shall let the purchase or contract to the lowest responsible bidder with the right to reject any or all bids and proposals. All such sealed bids or proposals shall be opened publicly. No single transaction shall be divided for the purpose of evading the provisions of this section. Upon the recommendation of the town manager that to do so would serve the best interests of town, or upon its own initiative, the foregoing requirement for competitive bidding may be waived by a majority roll call vote of the council with the yeas and nays recorded in the minutes of the meeting. (Amended December 14, 1965, and November 7, 1984)

d.

The town manager shall appoint and may remove the directors created by this Charter or ordinance. All such appointments shall be made on the basis of technical and administrative qualifications, character and experience. Subject to the provisions of Section 606 of this charter, all appointments to positions in the classified service within the department of finance, department of public safety, department of public works and any other department created by ordinance as provided by Section 605 of this charter shall be made by the director in charge of that department with the approval of the town manager. All other appointments to positions in the classified service, except those within the department of library services as provided by Section 604 of this charter, shall be made by the town manager. Subject to the approval of the council, the town manager may, in lieu of making an appointment, perform the duties of the director of any of the several departments and the duties of any position in the classified service, except those of the director of library services and those of positions with the department of library services. (Amended December 14, 1965)

e.

In case of the temporary inability of the town manager to serve, the suspension of the town manager or absence from town, or in the event of a vacancy in the office of town manager from whatever cause arising, the council shall have power to designate any person not a member of the council to act as town manager.

f.

The manager may be removed by resolution passed by a majority vote of the entire membership of the council which shall include a statement of the reasons therefore and the effective date of such removal. A copy of such resolution shall be given to the manager in hand or by registered mail forthwith. If the town manager shall so request by writing received in the office of the town clerk within ten (10) days thereafter, the town manager shall be given a public hearing by the council at which the town manager may be represented by counsel and the effective date of the town manager's removal shall be that stated in the resolution or a date fixed by the council for public hearing, whichever shall be later. Coincident with or subsequent to the passage of the resolution of removal, the council may, by a majority vote of its entire membership, suspend the town manager from duty. During the period of such suspension the town manager shall be paid his or her regular salary but the same shall terminate upon the effective date of his or her removal. The action of the council in removing the manager shall be final and there shall be no appeal from it.