After eleven months of work, the Killingworth Charter Revision Commission (KCRC) has, according to a statutorily-set calendar, presented to the Board of Selectmen (BOS) its final recommendations.  The KCRC’s proposed revisions, until this point, have been a work in progress. 

What follows is an explanation of the importance of the charter, the composition of the commission, the commission’s task, a sampling of the multifarious issues the commission researched and deliberated, the commission’s priority, some misconceptions about the commission’s work and product, an outline of the KCRC’s schedule and how it strove to be inclusive and open, the next steps, and, finally, how interested persons can see the proposed revisions to the charter.

The charter is “the organic law of the Town in the administration of its local affairs.”  This important document explains such things as town appointive boards and committees; elected officials’ duties, terms, and powers; individual administrative offices and agencies; and town meeting procedures and requirements.  It provides the legal framework within which the town is required to operate.  Last updated in 1997, the charter is revised about every ten years to ensure both that it is up to date with state statutes and that it adequately provides for current and future town needs.

The KCRC is comprised of seven volunteer members that met the many statutory requirements.  They were appointed by the BOS and represent a broad spectrum of the town’s residents and political affiliations.  The members were selected for their “broad range of municipal experience and creative thinking.”  Among their other attributes, the members’ collective experience with civic, business, legal, and non-profit organizations is extensive.  Most members are former elected or appointed town officials.  Their dedication to, and knowledge of, their community is exemplified by a few delineated contributions following this report. 

The commission’s task was straightforward:   “[F]ollowing State Statutes, recommend such changes – of any nature – to the Town Charter as you deem to be in the best interest of the Town.”  The commission thus set out to comprehensively review the charter and deliberate the group’s evolving list of substantive, procedural, and grammatical issues in an open process.  At the onset, the KCRC realized that the charter is revised, at most, once a decade.  The commission therefore looked at the charter as a document that must both keep our town government on a steady course and give the BOS the operational framework to manage the town as times and conditions warrant for many years to come. 

Well over one hundred issues have been discussed.  Among those which consumed the greatest number of hours of detailed research, discussion, and debate were the following: Town Manager, Town Planner, Town Administrator, Director of Finance, Town Engineer, Director of Public Works, Public Works Commission, term extension of the BOS to four years, expansion of the BOS to five with alternating terms, and the question of whether some positions such as Tax Collector, Town Clerk and Town Assessor should be elected or appointed.  Issues such as bidding procedures, terms of office, the use of the internet for public notices, an ethics committee, a municipal land use board, special capital reserve fund mil rate caps, and much more were also researched and discussed.  

Of preeminent concern to the KCRC and many of the scheduled visitors was the lack of continuity with the Board of Selectmen.  Currently, there are a First Selectman and two Selectmen elected for two-year terms.  Many models from other states and towns within Connecticut were contemplated before the idea was conceived from best business practices to build upon positions already in place to shore up the town’s management framework.

The commission strove to deliberate positions rather than personnel or personalities in its effort to envision an operational framework which permits the town to efficiently and responsibly move forward.  It should be noted that, despite apparent misconceptions, the KCRC is not responsible for personnel, personnel-related issues, or job descriptions.  From the onset, the KCRC understood that the relevant, current personnel are secure under union contracts.  Some revisions are an attempt to ensure annual evaluations are provided to employees and to make consistent terms of appointment not already mandated by statute.  The revised charter does not eliminate any current personnel and actually does not create additional positions that are not already either in existence or somehow embodied in the charter, although it does propose to strengthen relevant roles with broader responsibilities.  For instance, the position of Director of Public Works – while currently occupied by the First Selectman - is provided for in the existing charter and does not replace the Highway Foreman.  A Director of Finance has been in place for several years.  And, the current First Selectman’s secretary will remain in place per the union contract.  Moreover, despite changes in the charter, before any new position can be created and filled, the Board of Selectman must make allocations in the budget, obtain approval from the Board of Finance, and draft a job description. 

Since September 2008, the KCRC has held nineteen regular meetings, five special meetings, two public hearings, and one BOS hearing in addition to the scores of additional hours of reading and research by each member.  All of the KCRC’s meetings were open to the public and media.  Each member of the BOS came to at least two of the KCRC meetings or hearings.  Invitations were sent to all town boards, commissions, elected officials, and department heads to attend a meeting or provide suggestions for deliberation.  All communications received were read, and all suggestions within the KCRC’s purview were reviewed, researched, and discussed.  Some scheduled visitors included the Highway Foreman, the Director of Finance, the Town Clerk, and the chairs of the Board of Finance, Planning and Zoning, and Land Use.  Residents who contacted individual members were heard and invited to attend a meeting to share their perspectives.  As a result, two of three previous First Selectmen who made such calls attended a couple of meetings and provided useful insights and suggestions.  Agendas and minutes have been regularly filed with the Town Clerk’s Office.

If the BOS accepts the commission’s recommendation, the revisions will then be published per statute and ordinance and submitted to the people of Killingworth as a question on the ballot of the upcoming fall municipal election.

The revised charter is available in final draft format for anyone’s review at the Town Clerk’s Office or by clicking here.  The red-line format is 62 pages and difficult to read due to the sizeable amount of non-substantive, but necessary, formatting and grammatical changes.

The proposed revisions ensure that the current charter is brought up to date and efficiently accommodates the growing needs of the town.  It represents a significant effort of not only the commission but also the many members of the community that constructively contributed suggestions and shared areas of concern and previous experiences upon which the commission was able to build.

It has been an honor and privilege to serve the current and future residents of Killingworth.

Susan Adinolfo, Chair, 2008-09 Killingworth Charter Revision Commission
Helen Mahoney, Secretary
Dick Bauer
Dan Perkins
Richard Pleines
Joan Reed Wilson, Esq.
Jamie Mowat Young, Esq.
and, Bettie Perreault, Recording Secretary

The following list of KCRC’s individual municipal contributions is by no means comprehensive.

Susan Adinolfo
- Former, Assistant Town Clerk 1975-1985
- Former, Town Clerk 1985-2006
- 1997 Killingworth Charter Revision Commission
- Killingworth Historical Society Board of Directors

Helen Mahoney
- Retired middle school English teacher
- Library Board, Recording Secretary
- Library desk volunteer and computer skills instructor

Dick Bauer
- Former Fire Chief, Killingworth Volunteer Fire Company

Dan Perkins
- Life long resident of Killingworth
- Retired executive in the field of Information Technology
- A founding member of the Killingworth Ambulance Association
- A founding member of the Killingworth Lions Club
- Former member of the Killingworth Fire Company
- Former member of the Killingworth Library Board of Directors
- Former member of the Killingworth Historical Society Board of Directors

Richard Pleines
- Retired high school science teacher
- Chairman of the Municipal Land Use Committee
- Board Member, Killingworth Chamber of Commerce
- Member of the Parmelee Farm Steering Committee
- Former, Board Member, Camp Hazen YMCA
- Killingworth’s representative to the greater New Haven Tourism District

Joan Reed Wilson
- Attorney
- Killingworth Women’s Organization, Past President
- Board Member, Youth & Family Services of Haddam-Killingworth, Inc.
- Member, Killingworth Chamber of Commerce

Jamie Mowat Young
- Attorney
- Killingworth Women’s Organization
- Killingworth Volunteer Fire Company Auxiliary
- Former, Water Pollution Control Authority
- Former, Inland Wetlands & Watercourses Commission

Bettie Perreault (Recording Secretary)
- Former, Chester First Selectman, member of the Board of Selectmen
- Former, Chester Water Pollution Control Authority, Chair
- Former, Chester Planning and Zoning, Chair
- Former, Chester Board of Finance Alternate
- Former, Chester Board of Fire Commissioners
- Former, Chester Director of Civil Preparedness, Deputy Director
- Multiple Regional, Municipal, Tourism, State, and Governor’s Commissions
- Justice of the Peace