05/02/2024 CHARTER REVIEW COMMITTEE Minutes

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4 CHARTER REVIEW COMMITTEE MINUTES Thursday, May 2, 2024 The Committee further discussed the Town Clerk being appointed versus elected with regard to accountability. Don Myers asked what happens if we reserve a seat for a tribal member and the seat doesn't get filled. Does the seat remain unfilled? Mary Waygan said you can write it so that you know that it's reserved for a certain amount of time, and that person would have to be a Mashpee resident and recommended by the Council. Greg McKelvey said we have a lot of boards and committees at this moment. There's nothing stopping any citizen of this town from applying to those boards and being appointed to those boards there's also groups I would say also might deserve another reserved seat. So you can open up a large can of worms. When there's already vacancies available for people who volunteer and they're not being filled, I can see that as an issue. Mary Waygan said that the tribe is changing. It has a government that is functioning stronger and stronger. Now they have a building and it it's functioning more and more and I think I want to be part of that rather than chasing after it later.They're a sovereign government within our borders, so that makes them different than seeing them as people of color or a minority, they are a government. Rodney Collins said he is proud of the fact that since he became manager, he's appointed several tribal members including in his office and the town should be encouraged to hire any person with inclusion and diversity and equality in mind, however, you also need to focus on competency, suitability and fitness based on the person's knowledge, skills, and abilities in order to perform the essential functions of the job and to be able to fulfill their responsibilities and perform their general duties competently. All of that is assessed through an independent arm of the town and called Human Resources. And in the in the in those committees that we are discussing, which is unlike a town appointment his concern is if the person appointed is going to be extremely adversarial, who is going to be extremely abrasive, who is going to be insulting, is going to be shoved down the town's throat versus a person who has poise. A person who has diplomacy, a person who is trying to do the right thing, and there are plenty of folks in the tribe who fit that description, who would be welcomed. It was suggested that when any board vacancies pop up that the Tribal Council,the Tribal Council submits a name, but it has to be confirmed by the Select Board.The Committee agreed that there should be some input from the Tribal Council regarding any changes to the Charter referencing the tribe. The Committee continued review of Article 6, Section 6-8 delete if any. So it says the capital improvement program shall be based on material prepared by the capital Improvement Program Committee established. by by- law.