Redevelopment Agency Bylaws

Article I - The Agency

Section 1. Name of Agency shall be known as the "Redevelopment Agency for the City of Municipal Building, 245 deKoven Drive, in the City of Middletown, Connecticut.

Section 2. Office of Agency. The office of the Agency shall be at the Municipal Department Office of the Municipal Building, 245 deKoven Drive, in the City of Middletown, Connecticut.

Article II - Members and Officers

Section 1. Members. The regular members shall be sixteen in number with the Mayor as a member ex-officio who shall vote only in the event of a tie vote of regular members. The regular members shall consist of the electors appointed by Mayor with approval of the Common Council. The term of office shall be as specified in Section 16-24 of the Middletown Code of Ordinances, as amended by Ordinance No. 1 adopted January 6, 1986.

Section 2. Officers. The officers of the Agency shall be a Chairman, a Vice Chairman and a Secretary.

Section 3. Chairman. The Chairman shall preside at all meetings and hearings of the Agency and shall have the duties normally conferred by parliamentary usage on such officers. The Chairman shall sign all instruments as approved by the Agency.

Section 4. Vice-Chairman. The Vice Chairman shall perform the duties of the Chairman in the absence or incapacity of the Chairman; and, in the case of resignation or death of the Chairman, the Vice Chairman shall perform such duties as are imposed on the Chairman until such time as the Agency shall select a new Chairman.

Section 5. Secretary. The Secretary shall keep the records of the Agency, shall act as Secretary of the meetings of the Agency and record all votes, shall keep a record of the proceedings of the Agency in a journal of proceedings to be kept for such purposes and shall perform all duties incident to this office.

Section 6. Additional Personnel. The personnel of the Municipal Development Office will serve as staff for the Agency. Staff, subject to the direction of the Agency, shall have general supervision over the administration of the Agency's business and management of its affairs within the limits of funds available for its use. The Agency may employ such other officers, agents, technical consultants, legal counsel and employees as it requires.

Section 7. Committees. Special committees may be appointed by the Chairman for terms and purposes of which the Agency approves.

Section 8. Public Relations. Either the Chairman or a duly appointed Agency member or a staff member may act as public relations director for the Agency.

Article III - Election of Officers

Section 1. Unless postponed to a later meeting, the Chairman and Vice-Chairman shall be elected annually, at the regularly scheduled January meeting of the Agency from among the Agency, and shall hold office for one year or until their successors are elected and qualified. 

Section 2. Unless postponed to a later meeting, the office of Secretary shall be appointed by the Agency at the regular scheduled January meeting.

Section 3. Should the office of Chairman or Vice-Chairman become vacant, the Agency shall elect a successor from its membership at a regular or special meeting and such election shall be for the unexpired terms of said office.

Article IV - Meetings

Section 1. Regular Meetings. The regular meetings will be on the third (3) Tuesday of each month at 5:00pm in the Municipal Building, 245 deKoven Drive, Middletown. In the event of conflict with holidays or other events, a majority at any meeting may change the date of said meetings. Staff shall notify the membership of regular meetings not less than forty-eight (48) hours in advance of such meeting.

Section 2. Nine (9) members of the Agency shall constitute a quorum and the number of votes necessary to transact business shall be a majority of Agency members at a meeting.

Section 3. Special Meetings. The Chairman of the Agency may, when he deems in expedient, call a special meeting of the Agency. Not less than forty-eight (48) hours notification of such meeting shall be given to each member of the Agency. Unless otherwise specified in the notice of special meeting, such meeting shall be held at the place of regularly scheduled meetings.

Section 4. All Agency members shall be open to the public when in session unless the members vote to go into Executive Session.

Section 5. Order of Business. The regular meeting of the Agency, unless otherwise determined by the Chairman shall be:

a) Call to Order

b) Approval of the Minutes of the Previous Meeting

c) Communications

d) New Business

e) Reports of Officers and Committees

f) Old Business

g) Public Comments

h) Other

i) Adjournment

No new business submitted for action by the Agency shall be acted upon unless it is submitted three (3) working days prior to a regular meeting date. Provisions of this Section may be waived by unanimous vote of the members present.

Article V - Public Hearings

Section 1. The Agency may hold public hearings when it decides that such hearings will be in the public interest; or, that such hearings are prescribed by law.

Section 2. A stenographer shall take the evidence or the evidence shall be recorded by sound recording device at each hearing for the Agency in which the right to appeal lies to the Superior Court. Proceedings of the hearings shall be incorporated into the Minutes Book of the Agency to be a permanent part of that record.

Section 3. The Chairman of the Agency shall preside at the public hearing. In the event of his absence, the Vice-Chairman or a duly appointed Agency member, shall act as presiding officer. A summary of the question or issue may be stated by the presiding officer at the opening of the public hearing. Comments shall be limited to the subject advertised for hearing.

Article VI - Amendments

Amendments to by-laws of the Agency shall be amended only with the approval of at least nine of the Agency at a regular or a special meeting, but no such amendment shall be adopted unless at least seven days written notice thereof has previously been given to all members of the Agency.