[HISTORY: Adopted as Article I of the 7-10-1964 Compilation of Bylaws. Amendments
noted where applicable.]
[Amended 3-5-1974 STM, Art. 4; 3-5-1979 ATM, Art. 32; 4-12-1980 ATM,
Art. 34; 10-26-1983 STM, Art.
13; 3-31-1986 ATM, Art. 44]
The Annual Town Meeting shall be held on the
last Monday of April in each year. The Meeting will be at 7:00 p.m.
for the consideration of all lawful business and Town affairs that
may properly come before the Meeting. The Meeting will then adjourn
to the first Monday in May at 10:00 a.m. with the polls to close at
8:00 p.m. for the election of such officers and the determination
of such matters as by law are required to be elected or determined
by ballot.
[Amended 4-26-2004 ATM, Art. 29; 4-29-2019 ATM by Art. 26]
Every Town Meeting or Town Election shall be called in pursuance
of a warrant, notice of which shall be given at least seven days before
the Annual Meeting or an annual or special election and at least fourteen
days before any Special Town Meeting. The warrant shall be directed
to the constables or to some other persons, who shall forthwith give
notice of such meeting by posting attested copies thereof in Town
Hall and four (4) public places in the Town.
The warrant for the Annual Town Meeting shall
close at least thirty (30) days before the time of holding said meeting.
All persons present at any Town Meeting shall,
while the Meeting is open, be seated when requested by the Moderator.
No one shall speak on the same question more
than twice, without leave of the Meeting, or to explain or call to
order.
When anyone addresses the Moderator, he shall
rise and stand during his speaking.
An appeal to the Meeting shall lie from the
decision of the Moderator on a question of order upon the demand of
ten (10) voters present. The question on appeal shall be submitted
before any other. Debate shall be limited to three (3) minutes on
each side, but the Moderator may make such statements as to the reasons
for his ruling as he deems proper.
When several amendments are made to a motion
in regard to the same subject, relating to sums of money, numbers
or time, the question shall be first put upon the largest sum or number
or the longest time.
In all cases, no new motions shall be made while
one is pending, except to amend or substitute, commit or recommit,
lay upon the table or postpone to a time certain, close debate at
a specified time, or the previous question or to adjourn.
No one shall interrupt another while he is speaking,
except to call him to order.
Every person making a motion in Town Meeting,
shall reduce it to writing when required by the Moderator.
The previous question shall be put in the following form: "Shall the main question be now put?", and until this question is decided, all debate on the main question shall be suspended, except as provided in § 48-13. Immediately after taking and adopting the previous question, the sense of the Meeting shall be taken upon any pending amendments, in the order inverse to that in which they were moved and finally upon the main question.
When a debate is closed by ordering the previous
question, or by a vote to close debate at a specified time, the person
who shall have introduced the matter under consideration shall be
allowed to speak seven (7) minutes, and may grant to any other person
any portion of his time.
Any person proposing to move, at the Meeting
at which the vote was passed, for the reconsideration of a vote, shall
give notice of his intention in open Town Meeting, and shall announce
the time when he will make said motion, which shall not be within
less than one (1) hour after which notice is given.
A second motion for the reconsideration of the
same vote shall not be received.
Any one (1) of the foregoing sections, except § 48-1, may be suspended, by a vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the voters present, at any legal Town Meeting, for a length of time to be specified in the motion made for that purpose not exceeding the continuance of the meeting at which such vote may be passed.
[Amended 4-12-1980 ATM, Art. 35]
The duties of the Moderator and the government
of the Town Meeting not specially provided for by law or by the foregoing
rules shall be determined by the rules of practice in "Town Meeting
Time, A Handbook of Parlementary Procedure," copyright 1962.
[Added 3-5-1979 ATM, Art. 33]
No Special Town Meeting may transact any business until the Moderator determines that a quorum is present of thirty-five (35) persons eligible to vote at the meeting. Such quorum should be maintained if a motion is made to challange the quorum and supported by five (5) voters, the moderator must count to establish the quorum. Section 48-16 shall not apply to this section.
[Added 4-28-2003 ATM, Art. 9]
On matters requiring a two-thirds vote by statute
a count need not be taken unless the vote so declared is immediately
questioned by seven or more voters as provided in MGL c. 39, § 15.
