Township of Plymouth Town Charter¶
TITLE I: ESTABLISHMENT OF CITY GOVERNMENT¶
Chapter i: Town Government¶
A. The People of Plymouth, by adoption of this Charter, create and provide for their control of the Municipal government of the Town of Plymouth.
Chapter ii: General Powers¶
A. The Town has the comprehensive home rule power conferred upon it by the Mayflower Constitution, subject only to limitations placed on it by the Constitution and state law.
B. The Town also has all other powers which a Municipal area may possess under the Constitution and laws of the state.
Chapter iii: Boundaries¶
A. The boundaries of the Town exist within designated signs placed on every major highway entering Plymouth.
B. The boundaries shall be changed in accordance with state law.
TITLE II: GENERAL PROVISIONS¶
Chapter i: Qualifications for Elected Officers¶
A. All candidates shall have citizenship within the State; and shall have committed no felonies or be disbarred from holding public office.
B. Any elected officer who resigned their office during their term is disqualified from running for the next two election cycles, but thereafter may run for office.
Chapter ii: Terms and Oath of Office¶
A. The term of every elective city officer is three (3) or four (4) months and commences at noon on the first Monday after the a general election.
B. Every elective officer and every appointee before entering on official duties shall take and subscribe to the following oath before the Plymouth Town Clerk: “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support the Constitution of this state and that I will faithfully discharge the duties of office to the best of my ability.”
Chapter iii: Cooperation in Investigations; Obstruction¶
A. It shall be the duty of every member of the government, contractor, subcontractor and licensee of the Town to cooperate with the Town Council in any investigation and to uphold good conduct and abeyance of the law.
B. Any person above who willfully and without justification or excuse obstructs the Town Council in their proceedings by withholding evidence or testimony is subject to forfeiture of office and from running for public office within the Town of Plymouth.
Chapter iv: Violations and Penalties¶
A. Any violations of this Charter shall be taken up with the Town Attorney, and punishment shall not exceed $7,500 and/or being withheld from running for public office within the Town of Plymouth.
TITLE III: ELECTIONS¶
Chapter i: Mayoral¶
A. Mayoral elections shall run every four months.
B. The incumbent Mayor shall remain as Mayor until noon of the first Monday following Mayoral elections.
Chapter ii: Town Council¶
A. Town Council elections shall run every three months.
B. The Town Council shall be made up of six (6) Councillors.
C. The incumbent Town Council shall vacate their office four days before election day.
TITLE IV: THE MAYOR & CITY ADMINISTRATION¶
Chapter i: Office of the Mayor¶
A. The Mayor of the Town of Plymouth is the head of the Executive Branch of the Municipality.
B. The Mayor shall have the power to appoint or fire the Chief of the Plymouth Police Department, and by proxy any Officers within the department.
C. The Mayor shall have the power to direct the Town Attorney to act in court as the representative of the Town and its subsidiaries.
D. The Mayor shall have the power to introduce legislation to the Town Council and to veto any ordinances passed by the Town Council.
- All ordinances passed by the Town Council must be signed by the Mayor in order to be added to this Charter.
E. The Mayor shall have the power to issue permits detailed in Title VI.
F. The Mayor shall have the power to dissolve the Municipal government with the backing of the Town Council and to pass it into the hands of the County until such time that the County Board reestablishes the Town government.
G. The Mayor shall have the power to declare a State of Emergency, whereby the state government temporarily assumes control of the Town and its services and county and state resources, including the County Sheriff’s Office, State Police and National Guard, are called in to assist the Municipality in times of civil unrest, organised criminal activity or natural disasters.
Chapter ii: Office of the Town Clerk¶
A. The Town Clerk shall be appointed by the Mayor, with the backing of the Town Council, to keep Town Records and assist the Mayor with conducting polls, gathering feedback, suggestions and complaints and handling the administrative business of the Town.
B. The Town Clerk may appoint one assistant to assist in their office.
Chapter iii: Office of the Town Attorney¶
A. The Town Attorney shall be appointed by the Mayor, with the backing of the Town Council, to represent the Town and its subsidiaries in all legal proceedings, promoting the interests of the Town and its employees in civil and criminal cases.
B. The Town Attorney shall be a Member of the Mayflower Bar Association.
C. The Town Attorney may appoint a co-counsel and a paralegal to assist in their office.
TITLE V: CITY COUNCIL¶
Chapter i: Meetings¶
A. The Town Council shall hold bi-weekly meetings to discuss business which may be brought up according to Title V.iii
B. Meetings shall be held in public, though members of the public may only speak if invited to by the Town Council.
C. Special meetings may be called by the Mayor or any two members of the Town Council, with no less than 12-hours notice to each Member and the public.
Chapter ii: President¶
A. The Town Council shall select its President and President Pro-Tempore from among its members by majority vote of the members present at its first regular session.
B. The President shall chair all meetings, with the President Pro-Tempore stepping in when the President is unable.
Chapter iii: Rules¶
A. The Town Council shall determine its own rules and order of business and shall provide a journal of its proceedings kept by the Town Clerk.
B. No ordinance may be made by the Town Council should it conflict with state law.
Chapter iv: Quorum¶
A. A quorum shall constitute four (4) Councillors, though a smaller number of two (2) Councillors may meet and may compel attendance of absent members else without good reason they violate the integrity of the Charter and thus be fined no more than $7,500.
Chapter v: Voting¶
A. No action of the Town Council shall be affirmed unless adopted by a majority of Councillors present.
Chapter vi: Investigative Powers¶
A. The Town Council may make investigations into the affairs of the Town and the conduct of its subsidiaries and employees.
B. The Town Council may subpoena witnesses, administer oaths, take testimony and require the production of evidence in any matter pending before it. To enforce any of these, the Town Council shall instruct the Town Attorney to apply to the Courts.
Chapter vii: Control of Property¶
A. All property owned by Government within Town Limits is held in trust by the Town Council.
B. The Town may not sell or in any way dispose of any property without the approval of the State Legislature.
TITLE VI: REGULATION OF ACTIVITIES; ORDINANCES¶
Chapter i: Regulation of Firearms¶
A. All sellers, individuals and businesses, of firearms within the Municipality must do so with a permit issued by the Mayor.
B. No person shall draw a firearm within the Municipality, except during lawful defence in compliance with the State Criminal Code, or when within a designated shooting range within the Town Limits.
Chapter ii: Fire Safety and Prevention¶
A. All buildings with four (4) or more floors must have an accessible fire escape.
B. No building may exceed five (5) stories in height.
C. No person shall park their vehicle on a red kerb or in-front or within twenty (20) studs of a fire hydrant.
D. No person shall hinder a firefighter or paramedic in the performance of their duties.
Chapter iii: Public Gatherings¶
A. It is the right of the People to gather in public places, but may be limited in the interests of public safety by the Municipality.
B. Gatherings of ten (10) or more people must obtain a permit issued by the Mayor at least one (1) hour before it takes place irrespective of the intentions of the gathering.
C. Gatherings of more than fifteen (15) people must also notify the Chief of the Plymouth Police Department or one of their Officers. The Police Department will then designate an area free of motor vehicles for the gathering to take place in.
D. Permits are valid for a maximum of two (2) hours. Several may be issued in advance by the Mayor.
Chapter iv: Taxi Services¶
A. All taxi drivers starting fares within Town Limits shall notify players of the total fare beforehand.
B. It is hereby unlawful for a taxi driver to modify their fare after the price has been agreed with their passenger if the ride began within Town Limits.
Chapter v: Ordinances¶
Ordinances passed by the Town Council and signed by the Mayor of Plymouth shall be recorded here.
| Ordinance | Description | Punishment/Fine |
|---|---|---|
| Violating the City Charter | Title II.iv.A | $7,500 fine and/or being withheld from holding public office |
| Unlawful dealing of a firearm | M.C.C / Crimes Involving Firearms / Unlawful dealing of a firearm | 25 minutes imprisonment or $350 fine |
| Brandishing a firearm in city limits | Any player who turns a firearm on another player or carries it in their hands within the Town of Plymouth, except when lawfully defending themselves is guilty of a misdemeanor | 10 minutes imprisonment or $150 fine |
| Discharging a firearm in city limits | Any player who discharges a firearm within the Town of Plymouth, except when lawfully defending themselves is guilty of a misdemeanor | 15 minutes imprisonment or $200 fine |
| Open carrying a long gun in city limits | Any player who has on their person a long gun in plain view within the Town of Plymouth, except when lawfully defending themselves is guilty of a misdemeanor | 10 minutes imprisonment or $75 fine |
| Illegal parking | M.C.C / Traffic Offenses / Illegal parking | $50 fine |
| Failure to comply | M.C.C / Crimes Against the State / Failure to comply | $75 fine |
| Modifying the cost of a taxi fare | Title VI.iv | $100 fine |
TITLE VII: CITY DEPARTMENTS¶
Chapter i: Police¶
A. The Town Police Chief shall be appointed by the Mayor.
B. The Police Chief shall have the power to enforce local ordinances, county ordinances, state law and federal law.
C. The Police Chief may appoint as many Officers below them as the Town Budget allows.
D. The Police Chief may appoint Auxiliary Officers who do not count towards full time capacity as a temporary measure, with ten (10) being the maximum.
- Of the Auxiliary Police Force, no more than one (1) may be promoted to Sergeant.
- All others are prohibited from being promoted above the rank of Officer.
Chapter ii: Fire¶
A. Fire services for the Town of Plymouth shall be contracted from the County Fire Department.
B. The New Haven County Fire Chief shall be appointed as the Town’s Fire Officer and liaise with the Council on all fire safety related inquiries.
Chapter iii: Transport¶
A. The Town of Plymouth reserve the right to establish additional traffic signals and speed limits with the intent to improve traffic flow and public safety.
B. It shall be unlawful for any player to stand on a median divider
C. All roundabouts must flow in a counter-clockwise fashion
D. Tractor trailers may only drive on the following designated truck routes:
- Plymouth Avenue
- McDoogle Street
- DeLacy Street
- Harbor Road
E. The Speed Limit on all roads shall be thirty (30) miles per hour unless specified below:
- Plymouth Avenue, fifty (50) miles per hour
- Canyon Road, fifty (50) miles per hour