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H 4379

Bishop David W. Gleason and Lady Celina Gleason

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Terry Alexander and 122 co-sponsors

Amends Greenfield charter to streamline appointments, define acting mayor rules, tighten budget and capital planning deadlines, and strengthen public-safety commission oversight.

Introduced and adopted
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Bill Summary · H 4379

Summary — H.4379 (2025): Amend Greenfield Charter; Commemorative Resolution for Bishop David W. Gleason and First Lady Celina Gleason

Status: Introduced and adopted (House); various committee actions and readings; read third and passed to be engrossed 2025-11-26. Filed: 07/01/2025. Sponsors: Rep. Natalie M. Blais and Sen. Joanne M. Comerford. Classification: Local Act / resolution (package contains a municipal charter amendment and a commemorative resolution).

This filing contains two distinct pieces of legislative text: (A) an Act authorizing amendments to the City of Greenfield’s charter, and (B) a separate commemorative House resolution honoring Bishop David W. Gleason and First Lady Celina Gleason for community service. Both are included in the bill docket.

A. Charter amendments — City of Greenfield (primary substantive content)

Purpose: Update procedural rules in Greenfield’s city charter governing: municipal appointments approval timing, temporary mayoral succession, budget and capital planning deadlines and publication, and rules for the public safety commission’s membership and complaint handling.

Key provisions (section-by-section):
- Section 1 (Article 2, §2-10(c))
- Changes the appointment approval process: if the City Council meets within 30 days and does not reject appointments as provided, those appointments are deemed affirmed immediately and appointees may be sworn in without waiting the full 35-day presumptive approval period.

  • Section 2 (Article 3, §3-8(a))

    • Clarifies acting mayor rules:
    • For Mayor absences under 15 business days, the Mayor may designate a qualified city officer/employee by letter to act as needed.
    • For absences of 15 successive business days or more, the City Council President becomes Acting Mayor (or Vice-President if President unavailable). The Mayor’s designee shall assist the Acting Mayor.

  • Section 3 (Article 5, §5-3)

    • Moves annual operating budget submission deadline to “not later than April 22” with an accompanying budget message and publication of a public notice and summary that highlights major changes and where full copies are available.

  • Section 4 (Article 5, §5-6(c))

    • Requires City Council to adopt the budget, with or without amendments, by June 30. If Council takes no action on an item by June 30, that proposed amount becomes part of the appropriations automatically.

  • Section 5 (Article 5, §5-10(a))

    • Sets capital improvement program submission due by March 1 annually and requires a five‑year list with cost estimates, financing, schedules, and operating/maintenance cost estimates.

  • Section 6 & 7 (Article 6, §6-11(e) & (h))

    • Commission membership / conflicts:
    • No commission member may be an employee of the police or fire department, nor may a commission member’s family be an employee or retired member of those departments within 36 months of the commission member’s retirement date. “Family member” is defined (parent, spouse, child, stepchild, grandchild, sibling, sibling-in-law, sibling’s child, grandparent).
    • Complaint handling & discipline:
    • The commission reviews written public complaints about police/fire operations or employee conduct; complaints are forwarded to the relevant chief for investigation and findings.
    • The commission must adopt rules consistent with civil service law and collective bargaining; citizen complaints become part of the employee’s personnel file.
    • The commission shall apply progressive discipline except where more severe punishment is warranted.

Expected impact:
- Administrative/procedural: Shortens time-to-service for certain municipal appointees, clarifies continuity of executive authority, and tightens deadlines and transparency requirements for budget and capital planning.
- Public safety oversight: Tightens conflict-of-interest standards for civilian oversight commissioners and formalizes complaint processing, record retention, and discipline standards—affecting commission membership eligibility, police/fire personnel, and complainants.
- Financial: No direct new spending specified; changes are procedural and timing-related (e.g., publication and planning deadlines).

Local approval notation: The petition indicates approval by the Mayor and City Council (local approval received).

B. Commemorative resolution — Bishop David W. Gleason and First Lady Celina Gleason

Purpose: A House resolution recognizing and honoring Bishop David W. Gleason and First Lady Celina Gleason, founders of the Apostolic Revival Center in Manning, for 30–35 years of ministry and community service (outreach during disasters, pandemic assistance, service roles such as chaplaincy, victims’ advocacy, etc.). The resolution commends their service and directs that a copy be presented to them. (Text appears to be from a South Carolina House resolution; included in the docket as a commemorative item.)

Procedural history (selected)

  • Filed/Added: 07/01/2025 (House Docket No. 4874).
  • Referred to Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government: 08/07/2025.
  • Senate concurred: 08/11/2025.
  • Hearing scheduled (written testimony only): 09/04/2025.
  • Committee reported favorably; further committee referrals and scheduling occurred in September–October 2025.
  • Read third and passed to be engrossed: 11/26/2025.

Notes/Considerations:
- The docket bundles a local charter amendment (Massachusetts, City of Greenfield) with a celebratory resolution that references service in South Carolina; the two items are substantively unrelated. The charter changes are administrative/local in scope and would take effect according to the charter amendment enactment process if enacted.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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