OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Charter Revision Commission Meeting: June 10, 2026

Meeting Portal — Wednesday, June 10, 2026
BodyDanbury, Connecticut
SessionMeeting Portal
DateWednesday, June 10, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 2:01:21

Transcript — Verbatim
0:02

I will call the meeting to order.

0:04

It is 635.

0:05

It is Wednesday June 10th, 2026.

0:08

This is a meeting of the Charter Revision Commission.

0:12

Um down the agenda.

0:16

I can ask everybody to please rise for the pledge.

0:20

And if uh Commissioner Putnam can lead us in the flex, please.

0:24

Our pledge allegiance is to the flag of the United States of America and stands with a nation under God into the vote with liberty.

0:37

Thank you very much.

0:39

Um if the vice chair would be so kind as to do the role, please.

0:46

Britain present.

0:49

Uh Amida is absent.

0:51

She is away.

0:52

Uh Armstrong.

0:53

Hernandez.

0:54

Yeah.

0:55

Jowdy is not here.

0:58

Uh Kerry?

0:59

Here.

1:01

Here.

1:01

And Rimbergos here.

1:03

Here.

1:03

Sure, we have two absences, Amita and Jowdy.

1:06

Thank you very much, sir.

1:08

Um next is public participation.

1:11

Um members of the public that wish to address uh the commission.

1:15

Now is your chance.

1:17

Please uh let me remarks to about three minutes and before you speak, name and address so the mic can pick you up.

1:22

Please, any members of the public?

1:24

Yep, Chief.

1:26

Uh Jeff Harold, uh 18 Foster Street.

1:29

Um section 63 um regarding appointments of officers and employees of the city.

1:36

Um it says when not otherwise provided, all heads and all officers of the foregoing departments, including departments created by the city council, and then it says all police and fire officers shall be appointed by the mayor.

1:51

Um this is language that's a little bit antiquated from the perspective of uh our current operations.

1:57

One of the things the mayor also appoints all firefighters also with the approval of the city council after going through HR and all those things.

2:04

And I I want to make the distinction, and police officers have that title, and the police officer is a police officer.

2:11

Firefighters are not officers until they promote up to a rank of command officer or lieutenant or above.

2:18

The language is not exact.

2:20

I'm not sure if it's it, I don't, I'm not gonna say it's a big deal, but it is an exact language in the process.

2:26

And I'm thinking that perhaps it should also say an all police and firefighters and officers, or something along those lines, because a firefighter is distinctly different from a fire officer.

2:37

The officers include fire marshals, deputy fire marshals, lieutenants, captains, administratively, as well as line officers.

2:44

But offices are distinctly different, as in the military.

2:48

I'm just thinking it should be should be addressed somehow.

2:52

That's the only thing I caught this time around.

2:54

That is less than two minutes.

2:55

Look at that.

2:56

Thank you.

2:59

Yep, sir.

2:59

Thank you, Chairman.

3:00

Thank you, committee.

3:01

Michael Henry, Danbury, Connecticut, 11 Corn Castle Road.

3:04

This is about boards and commissions that we talked about last week and probably talked about over the last few weeks.

3:09

Um last week we heard that there were six individuals that were non-residents that are on board commissioners and of these authorities in Danbury.

3:22

To keep that number in perspective, or are not allowing any more in here because you could go from six to twenty to who knows what it is.

3:28

There is no control over non-residents becoming appointed.

3:33

They're making decisions, they're voting on committees or voting on issues for the city of Danbury, taxpayers.

3:39

My question to them is why don't you live in Danbury?

3:41

You want to work here, you want to be appointed here.

3:43

Why aren't you here?

3:45

There should be an application process, a review process, a vetting process.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Charter Revision█████████████████████████████████████████████81%
Procedural█████9%
Personnel Matters███5%
Fiscal Sustainability██4%
Equity in Transportation█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Charter Revision Commission Meeting: June 10, 2026

The Charter Revision Commission convened on Wednesday, June 10, 2026 at 6:35 PM. The meeting focused on finalizing red-line revisions to chapters 4, 6, 7, and 8 of the city charter, addressing public comments, and setting the date for a second public hearing.

Consent Calendar

  • The minutes from the previous meeting (June 3, 2026) were approved unanimously after review.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Jeff Harold (18 Foster Street) noted that the charter language in section 63 says "all police and fire officers shall be appointed by the mayor." He argued that this is antiquated because firefighters are not officers until they promote to command ranks. He suggested the language should read "all police officers and firefighters" to accurately reflect current operations.
  • Michael Henry (11 Corn Castle Road) expressed concern about non-residents serving on city boards and commissions. He stated that there are currently six non-resident members and argued that no process exists to prioritize qualified Danbury residents. He urged the commission to create a vetting process and to require residency for appointments.
  • An additional speaker (name not given) advocated for making the legislative assistant position more permanent and explicitly mentioned in the charter. He emphasized the role's institutional knowledge and the need for continuity across administrations, suggesting that the position should not be subject to political turnover.

Discussion Items

  • Red-Line Review (Chapters 4 & 7):
    • February 15 Budget Date: The commission debated whether to retain the February 15th deadline for budget submissions. Joe (legal counsel) noted the statutory requirement exists but the date is not mandatory. The commission agreed to keep February 15th (or next business day) and to adjust section 7.3E so that the planning commission presents the capital budget to the mayor by that date, rather than the mayor presenting directly to the council.
    • Section 8 – Expenditure Violations: Commissioner Mike argued that the language "every payment made in violation shall be deemed illegal" is too severe and could lead to firing for honest mistakes. Joe explained that this mirrors state statute 7-348. After discussion, the commission kept the "shall" language but noted that discipline would be determined by the department head, mayor, and HR, and that collective bargaining agreements would apply.
    • Bonding Limit: The commission agreed to keep the bonding limit at $5 million. Joe advised against indexing due to state statutory caps. Commissioner Peter explained the original $3 million figure was set in 2008 based on bridge replacement costs; the increase to $5 million was deemed reasonable.
  • Chapter 6 – Administrative Departments:
    • Treasurer: Staff suggested adding "or their designee" to the voucher approval language; the commission agreed.
    • Department Names: Accepted name changes: Civil Preparedness to Emergency Management; Elderly Services to Aging Services; and creation of a new Department of Technology Services (IT).
    • Appointments Language: Following Jeff Harold's public comment, the commission revised section 6.3 to read: "all department heads, and all police officers and firefighters, shall be appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the city council." This replaces the previous phrase "all police and fire officers."
    • Corporation Counsel: Changed the title from "assistant corporation counsel" to "deputy corporation counsel" to match current practice, and clarified that the mayor may appoint additional assistants.
    • Official Bonds: Removed the obsolete position of "agent of the town deposit fund."
    • Board of Education Fiscal Oversight: A proposed new section was introduced to allow the city to impose uniform accounting, auditing, purchasing, and fiscal control procedures on the school district (without impairing educational policy). It would also require the Board of Education to submit an annual financial report by August 15th and grant the mayor and finance director access to financial records for oversight. The commission deferred final action to next week to allow legal review of state statutes regarding board composition (e.g., why Danbury has 11 members).
    • Residency Requirements: Commissioner Glenda raised the issue of residency requirements for appointed officials. The commission agreed to research which positions may legally require residency under state law, with a focus on police and fire chiefs (already required) but noted that other positions like Emergency Management Director currently have no such requirement.
  • Town Clerk: After hearing from the current town clerk (Lori) about the complexity of the role and the importance of certification, the commission reached consensus to change the town clerk from an elected to an appointed position. The appointing authority would be the mayor with council confirmation; qualifications (including certifications) would be determined by the Human Resources department.
  • Legislative Assistant: The commission agreed to keep the current appointment process (mayor appoints, council confirms by two-thirds vote) but added a removal clause: the council can disapprove a removal by two-thirds vote, mirroring the appointment threshold. This ensures the council's role in both hiring and firing.

Key Outcomes

  • Minutes approved unanimously.
  • Red-line revisions for chapters 4, 6, 7, and 8 were approved with the noted changes.
  • Second public hearing scheduled for Thursday, June 25, 2026 at 7:00 PM at City Hall. The commission will meet immediately afterward to approve the final draft.
  • Next regular meeting will be held on June 17, 2026 (likely at 7:00 PM, to be confirmed) to finalize the full draft and ensure all public hearing comments have been addressed.
  • Chairman's report included thanks to the commission, legal counsel, staff, department heads, and members of the public for their participation. The chairman will prepare a cover letter explaining the commission’s decisions and omissions.
  • Adjournment at 8:37 PM.

Meeting Transcript

I will call the meeting to order. It is 635. It is Wednesday June 10th, 2026. This is a meeting of the Charter Revision Commission. Um down the agenda. I can ask everybody to please rise for the pledge. And if uh Commissioner Putnam can lead us in the flex, please. Our pledge allegiance is to the flag of the United States of America and stands with a nation under God into the vote with liberty. Thank you very much. Um if the vice chair would be so kind as to do the role, please. Britain present. Uh Amida is absent. She is away. Uh Armstrong. Hernandez. Yeah. Jowdy is not here. Uh Kerry? Here. Here. And Rimbergos here. Here. Sure, we have two absences, Amita and Jowdy. Thank you very much, sir. Um next is public participation. Um members of the public that wish to address uh the commission. Now is your chance. Please uh let me remarks to about three minutes and before you speak, name and address so the mic can pick you up. Please, any members of the public? Yep, Chief. Uh Jeff Harold, uh 18 Foster Street. Um section 63 um regarding appointments of officers and employees of the city. Um it says when not otherwise provided, all heads and all officers of the foregoing departments, including departments created by the city council, and then it says all police and fire officers shall be appointed by the mayor. Um this is language that's a little bit antiquated from the perspective of uh our current operations. One of the things the mayor also appoints all firefighters also with the approval of the city council after going through HR and all those things. And I I want to make the distinction, and police officers have that title, and the police officer is a police officer. Firefighters are not officers until they promote up to a rank of command officer or lieutenant or above. The language is not exact. I'm not sure if it's it, I don't, I'm not gonna say it's a big deal, but it is an exact language in the process. And I'm thinking that perhaps it should also say an all police and firefighters and officers, or something along those lines, because a firefighter is distinctly different from a fire officer. The officers include fire marshals, deputy fire marshals, lieutenants, captains, administratively, as well as line officers. But offices are distinctly different, as in the military. I'm just thinking it should be should be addressed somehow. That's the only thing I caught this time around. That is less than two minutes. Look at that. Thank you. Yep, sir. Thank you, Chairman. Thank you, committee.

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