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[Senator Brian Collamore (Chair)]: Good afternoon, and welcome to the Senate and Srini of Government Operations meeting on Thursday, 03/12/2026. Our consideration is H694. It's an accolade to approval of amendments to the charter of the town of Banks and concerning the town manager. We are expecting Tucker Anderson to come in at any moment and perhaps representative Tim Forterman, but in his stead, in their stead, we have representative Sandy from Dorset. Know how we are never supposed to say this is a simple bill. Let me just say it this way, it's a one page bill, which probably cries out with simplicity and some facts. So Sandy, welcome, and if you would take us through what we're doing.
[Representative Sandra Fitzsall]: Okay, so my name's Representative Sandra Fitzsall, I am Representative Dorset, I represent Benton, Rutland 1, and the bill came before us as House six ninety four, and the purpose of the bill was to amend the charter, town of to provide a contract based exemption to the current town charter, requiring it for notice cause and hearing for the removal of the town manager. The General Assembly approved the amendments to the charter of the town of Reddington on 03/04/2025 with a vote of twelve thirty one to seven ninety nine. In subsections 406A, as it now reads, unless expressly modified by contract on days written notice from the select board, the town manager may be removed without cause by a majority of the select board at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on removal. During that ninety day period, the town manager may be suspended with pay. The act will take effect upon passage. Our government and military affairs in the House heard testimony from the Legislative Council, the Town of Bennington, the select board chairman, and the Town of Bennington select board member. We voted out of committee of ten zero one, and on the floor it passed unanimously with no nays. Simple as that.
[Senator Brian Collamore (Chair)]: Senator White.
[Senator Rebecca "Becca" White (Member)]: Did something happen? Their previous town manager had been there forever, had been out on sick leave for a very long time. So in the new when the new town manager, they decided to have a contract based, which they didn't have in the past. So that's all it was, was a contract. Okay.
[Representative Sandra Fitzsall]: Thank you. Agreement with this town manager. Because it's
[Senator Brian Collamore (Chair)]: framed sort of in a negative.
[Senator John Morley III (Clerk)]: Yeah. I know. I was like, no.
[Representative Sandra Fitzsall]: Right. Well, that's what Yeah. No. It's just that they never had a contract in the past and they want one going forward. Yeah.
[Senator John Morley III (Clerk)]: I mean, we had a town manager for nineteen years. We had a town manager for twenty plus years. Yeah, this is kind of the way we do it now with comparison.
[Senator Brian Collamore (Chair)]: Any other questions for Sandy? No. Thank you, and sorry to No, be no problem. Give our best to your colleagues up to
[Representative Sandra Fitzsall]: Oh, yes. Yeah. Thank you.
[Senator Brian Collamore (Chair)]: Okay. I'll wait and have all of us weigh in on this. It would appear if I and I wish Chuck was here. I read section four zero six, the word on, preposition, was struck and then replaced by unless expressly modified by contract on. So I'm guessing that the original or the current statute would have just read on ninety day notice, which is a little bit I would have said with ninety days written notice. But at any rate, the language didn't change after that. The current statute, because some may say, well, geez, you're removing them without cause or her. But the fact is they already could have. So we're not changing anything. All we're saying is if there's a contract that was signed by both parties, which would somehow exempt the ninety day requirement, then that would take precedence. But you said that's right, you should think it would.
[Senator John Morley III (Clerk)]: Well, I'm understanding as well, if you have a contract and you say, well, contract is gonna end 12/31/2028.
[Senator Brian Collamore (Chair)]: Yeah.
[Senator John Morley III (Clerk)]: This means that they don't have to also say
[Senator Brian Collamore (Chair)]: Yeah.
[Senator John Morley III (Clerk)]: Three months before that, well, we're we are letting you we're not renewing your contract.
[Senator Brian Collamore (Chair)]: Okay.
[Representative Sandra Fitzsall]: Yep. I think.
[Senator Brian Collamore (Chair)]: Yeah. I don't know what normally is contained in a contract. Senator Morley probably knows better than most of us. A municipal contract with a town manager, it could include a lot of different things, I guess. Could include insurance provisions, sole education, time off.
[Senator John Morley III (Clerk)]: Married pay.
[Representative Sandra Fitzsall]: Yeah. Yeah, there's a lot of
[Senator Brian Collamore (Chair)]: So I think all they're doing is making it more clear. That's all. For your benefit, Sandra Vyhovsky, we did have a quick The one the one page bill. I am fine with moving this along if people want to, if you wanna do it tomorrow. We don't have them do charters at the same deadline level as the other bills. Oh, really? So there's no crossover on this. Well, this one's already come across. I know. It's a page bill. So But subject to crossover. Charters?
[Senator John Morley III (Clerk)]: No. Not on the house side. They have to come through our rules committee. There's no crossover deadline on the house side. Yeah. Charters Right. They've laid out a rules committee, and we have have them released.
[Senator Brian Collamore (Chair)]: Yes. Okay. It's sort of understood if you get a charter, you could take as much time as you want. I mean, we have the Burlington ones we haven't done yet. Is that the oldie type of still? Alright. Short form bills. See, don't know the house rules as well. I don't know.
[Senator John Morley III (Clerk)]: I think it's just charters. There is a different deadline for short form drafting, but they're still subject
[Senator Brian Collamore (Chair)]: to cross orders. Yeah, was charters. Nothing to do with cross orders, just a Well, Matt, have mercy. What do you wanna do? You wanna vote for some or you be prepared? Well, I'd like to hear from Tucker next. And Timmy Corker was supposed to be a dentist. Oh yeah, I think. So let's put it off till probably next week. Okay. With that in mind, we don't have anything else until 03:00 when we're gonna take up s eighty nine. So let's go off for twenty minutes, and we'll take up consideration of that bill when we come back from Senator Clarkson. Enjoy the rest of her meal.