[HISTORY: Adopted by the Annual Town Meeting of the Town
of Easton 3-6-1922 by Art. 6 as
Art. 1 of the 1922 Bylaws. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Records and reports — See Ch. 65.
[Amended 3-4-1957 ATM
by Art. 19; 11-26-1973 STM by
Art. 1; 5-21-1980 ATM by Art.
36; 6-4-2001 STM by Art. 18]
The Annual Town Meeting shall be held on the third Monday of
May each year.
[Added 11-26-1973 STM
by Art. 2; amended 5-21-1980 ATM
by Art. 37; 10-30-2000 STM by
Art. 1; 11-30-2020 STM by Art.
9]
The Annual Town Election shall be held on the fourth Tuesday
in April in each year. The Annual Town Election may be rescheduled
for a different date in said April of a given year, provided it is
not before April 15 and not later than April 30, by majority vote
of the Select Board, provided such a vote be taken at a public hearing
no later than December 31st of the preceding year, at which hearing
cause for such rescheduling is heard.
Every Town Meeting shall be called by posting attested copies
of the warrant at each meeting house and post office and at the Town
Hall at least seven days before said meeting.
Notice of every adjournment of a Town Meeting shall be posted by the Town Clerk in the places designated in § 44-3 as soon as practicable after the adjournment, stating briefly the business to come before such adjourned meeting.
[Amended 3-23-1962 ATM
by Art. 19; 3-23-1962 ATM by Art.
20; 5-20-1974 ATM by Art. 60; 9-26-2005 STM, Art. 19]
[Added 3-23-1962 ATM
by Art. 21]
At any Annual or Special Town Meeting when any article is put
to the meeting for a vote, if a voter stands to request a secret ballot,
he shall be promptly recognized by the Moderator and if on inquiry
by the Moderator such voter is joined by at least 29 other standing
voters, the Moderator shall automatically order a secret ballot without
debate.
[Added 6-18-1963 STM
by Art. 3; amended 3-16-1970 ATM
by Art. 30]
After any article contained in the warrant of a Special or Annual
Town Meeting has been once voted upon by those present and voting
at such a meeting, "Reconsideration" of the article may be moved only
on the same day that said article has been originally considered and
voted upon.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Former § 44-8, Special notice when
change of land use is proposed, as added 6-2-1975 ATM by Art. 83,
which immediately followed this section, was deleted 5-11-1998 ATM
by Art. 50.
[Added 5-11-1976 ATM
by Art. 10]
Advancing the order of consideration of articles as set forth
in the warrant for any Annual or Special Town Meeting may only be
done by a four-fifths vote.
[Added 6-12-1978 ATM
by Art. 53; amended 10-2-1989 STM
by Art. 2]
Town Meeting shall follow basic rules of parliamentary procedure
as set forth below, and such rules shall be printed in each Town Meeting
warrant.
A.
Main motion: debatable. When a motion has been made, seconded and
stated by the Chair, the assembly is not at liberty to consider any
other main motion until this motion has been disposed of.
B.
Motions to amend: debatable; majority vote required. This motion
is to change, add or omit words in the original main motion.
C.
Motion to amend the amendment: debatable; majority vote required.
(1)
This is a motion to change, add or omit words in the first amendment.
(2)
Method of vote. The first vote is on changing words of second amendment.
If the first vote adopts the change, the second vote is on the first
amendment as changed or amended. The third vote is on adopting the
main motion as changed or amended.
D.
Motion to commit or refer: debatable; amendable; majority vote required.
When a motion becomes involved through amendments or when it is wise
to investigate a question more carefully, it may be moved to commit
or refer the motion to a committee for further consideration.
E.
Motion to close debate: not debatable; two-thirds vote required.
When debate does not seem to be shedding additional light on a question,
you may move to end it by calling the question: "Mr. Moderator, I
call the question." You must be recognized by the Chair before making
this motion. As soon as this motion is made, debate ceases and a vote
on closing debate is taken. If the motion is carried, a vote is immediately
taken on the question under consideration.
F.
Motion to reconsider: debatable; majority vote required. This motion
must be made the same day as the original motion was carried or defeated.
"A vote can be reconsidered only once."
G.
Motion to adjourn: debatable; majority vote required. This motion
is always in order, except when a speaker has the floor, when a vote
is being taken, after it has just been voted down and when the assembly
is in the middle of some business which cannot be abruptly stopped.
A definite time and place must be set.
H.
Miscellaneous motions. These motions (or questions) are not necessarily
related to the main motion and do not fall within the order of precedence.
They may be made as appropriate or necessary.
(1)
Question of privilege. A motion unrelated to the business taking
place, e.g., "Question of privilege, please! It is too noisy. I request
that the Chair ask that all talking be stopped."
(2)
Point of information. A motion used to ask a question or obtain clarification
of facts pertaining to the motion at hand: "Point of information,
please! What would be the cost to repair this piece of machinery rather
than replace it?" There is no vote or debate. The Chair provides the
information sought.
(3)
Point of order. This motion is always in order but can be used only
to present an objection to some method of parliamentary procedure:
"Mr. Moderator, I rise to a point of order!" Then the objection is
stated. There is no vote or debate, and the Chair immediately rules
on the point of order.
(4)
Point of no quorum. This motion requires no second and is not debatable.
No other motion may be applied to it. It may not be used to interrupt
a speaker. When the point is properly raised, the Moderator must then
ascertain whether or not a quorum exists.
[Added 5-17-2004 ATM
by Art. 24]
The Moderator may take and declare all votes requiring greater
than a majority in the same manner in which he or she conducts the
taking of a vote when a majority is required, unless the vote is immediately
challenged by seven or more registered voters.
