RTM Rules & Ordinances Minutes of SPECIAL Committee Meeting for 8-12-09
The meeting was called to order at 7:05 p.m.
Present: All members of the committee; Reps. Giardiello, Twohill, Avitable; Third Selectman John Opie; Town Counsel William Clendenen; Registrars Dan Hally and Marion Burkard; also, at the request of the committee, Attorney Rafie Podolsky from the Legal Assistance Resource Center.
The Committee heard the following items:
1. To consider and, if appropriate, approve a request from the Registrars of Voters for the realignment of the voting districts and polling places.
Attorney Clendenen reported that the Secretary of State’s office says it is fine for the town to refer to maps in the redistricting ordinances. He recommends that we reduce the large maps and include them in the Code, as well as filing large maps at the Clerk’s office. He reports that the Secretary of State indicates the General Assembly will be redistricting in 2010, and will confirm this, as this is not what the committee had previously understood. Registrar Hally has reviewed most of the maps. Motion by Rep. Sullivan to set an effective date for the ordinance of March 29, 2009. Seconded by Rep. Black. All in favor. Motion to re-refer for the purpose of looking at final draft of ordinance and maps by Rep. Black, seconded by Rep. Sully. All in favor. Registrar Burkard points
out we will need time to do that. It is anticipated that the next regular meeting of the committee, on September 15, will be devoted primarily to that purpose.
2. To consider and, if appropriate, approve a request for the enactment of an ordinance creating a fair rent commission. Presentation by Attorney Rafie Podolsky, from the Legal Assistance Resource Center at the request of the Committee. No town has limited a fair rent commission ordinance so that it applies only to trailer parks, although some have limited the application to some extent. There are state statutes which give certain additional rights to the tenants of mobile home parks, and the Department of Consumer Protection has jurisdiction to oversee and enforce these statutes.
Many residents of the 155 N. Ivy mobile home park again in attendance, with questions concerning what the ordinance would do and further complaints of abuses by their landlord. One owner of another mobile home park in Branford also in attendance, indicating that she believes Consumer Protection does a good job of enforcement and that a fair rent commission is not necessary. Motion to re-refer by Rep. Black, seconded by Rep. Sullivan. All in favor.
3. To consider RTM procedures concerning the presentation of information by the public. Proposal by Rep. Black for the following:
(1) That a member of the public will have the right to speak for 2 minutes to an agenda item under discussion, with an additional one minute for rebuttal;
(2) That a member of the public will have 3 minutes to the issue of their choice under New Business. (We contemplate that a motion could be made by a member of the RTM to waive the time limit if 3 minutes
have elapsed and members of the RTM want to hear more.)
(3) That an item can be placed on the RTM agenda by way of a petition signed by 20 people. There are a number of ways that items make their way to our agenda – this would just add to the number of ways,
not limit existing avenues.
(4) That correspondence will either be read or, if in excess of certain length, summarized; and that the members of the public do not have a right to make an oral presentation at this time during the meeting.
Discussion of this proposal, as well as complaints and concerns regarding the receipt of one item of correspondence at the last special meeting, but the rejection of another. General discussion of the need for a clear time limit for the receipt of correspondence, as well as clarification of when correspondence will be read vs. summarized. Rep. Black will write up his proposal and forward it to the committee. Motion to re-refer by Rep. Black, seconded by Rep. Sullivan. All in favor.
Meeting adjourned, 9:30 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Alinor Sterling
Rules and Ordinances Committee Chair
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