Martone says it’s time for charter revision

Select Board member Walter Martone thinks it’s about time the Springfield town charter is updated.
http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20150822/NEWS02/708229955

Select Board member Walter Martone has asked for a review of the Springfield charter. Photo: Photo by Len EmeryPublished August 22, 2015 in the Rutland Herald Martone says it’s time for charter revision By SUSAN SMALLHEER Staff Writer SPRINGFIELD — Select Board member Walter Martone thinks it’s about time the Springfield town charter is updated. For beginners, Martone said, the language is “antiquated,” and not gender neutral. The charter refers to town leaders as selectmen, he said. “And we have a woman serving on the board,” he said. “We need to join the 21st century.” The charter was last revised in 1985, after a lengthy review that included a townwide vote and approval by the Vermont Legislature. If the simple language referring to the Select Board members is outdated, he said he suspects there are other issues that need updating, Martone said. Martone said the charter could also be the place for a town ordinance requiring property owners to keep their holdings in good condition. The Select Board has put tackling dilapidated buildings as a top priority, and has been condemning buildings and has even torn a couple down. “We need to hold owners responsible for the upkeep of their property,” Martone said. While the Select Board had endorsed Martone’s idea about asking legislators to sponsor such legislation, he said Rep. Alice Emmons, D-Springfield, had suggested that the town charter might be the best place for such an initiative. But Chairman Kristi Morris is less than convinced that the charter needs a massive overhaul, despite the fact that it was last updated 30 years ago. “We’re entering swift waters here,” Morris said. “I’d like a roadmap in front of me. I may be able to support it if some of this is laid out.” And Town Manager Tom Yennerell said revising a town charter was a complex undertaking, and he suggested the town work with the Vermont League of Citizens and Towns’ municipal assistance center, if not, hire a law firm to help. “It’s a complex thing and I’m not so confident we can do this in-house,” he said. But Select Board member George McNaughton, himself a lawyer, said he opposed hiring a law firm to do the work. “I have confidence in the community not to bungle it,” he said. “I don’t support cosmetic changes to the charter.” Rutland City has a charter that allows it to get federal funding to help tackle blight and dilapidated buildings. “Rutland has a provision in its charter and has brought millions of dollars into the community,” McNaughton said. “They got the money because of their charter.” Select Board member Stephanie Thompson said the charter had stood unchanged “since before I was born .... I think it’s time. Maybe we should get the process going.” The charter itself has specific rules for any charter review commission, including the makeup of its membership. The board is expected to take up the issue of a charter revision commission — and its membership — at a meeting in September.