[HISTORY: Adopted as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Boards and commissions — See Ch. 4.
Committees — See Ch. 7.
Manager — See Ch. 29.
Selectmen — See Ch. 37.
[Adopted 8-26-1974 STM, Art. 15 (Ch. 11 of the Revised Bylaws)]
[Amended 10-4-1993 STM, Art. 17]
The Annual Town Meeting for the transaction of all business except the election of such officers and the determination of such matters as are required to be elected shall be held on a date, time and place to be determined by Board of Selectmen. The Board shall make such designation not later than March 1 of each year, and the designated date shall be set so as to allow completion of all business not later than June 30 of the same year.
[Amended 5-3-2000 ATM, Art. 13]
The Annual Town Meeting for the election of such officers and the determination of such matters as are required by law to be elected or determined by ballot shall be held on a date in the month of May to be determined by the Board of Selectmen. The Board shall make such designation not later than March 1 of each year.
The polls shall be open during hours prescribed by the Board of Selectmen and in compliance with applicable provisions of the General Laws.
[Amended 5-3-1999 ATM, Art. 17; 10-18-1999 STM, Art. 1]
All warrants for Town Meetings shall be served by posting attested copies thereof in at least four public places in the Town, including two in Precinct B in the Village of Housatonic. Said postings shall be at least seven days before the time of holding an Annual Town Meeting and at least 14 days before the time of holding a Special Town Meeting.
[Amended 5-14-2007 ATM, Art. 25]
The number of voters necessary to constitute a quorum at any Special or Annual Town Meeting shall be 100, and no action shall be taken to raise and appropriate money at any Town Meeting unless there are present 100 or more legal voters of the Town; provided, however, that a number less than a quorum may from time to time adjourn the same. This section shall not apply to parts of meetings devoted to the selection of Town officers or to a question or questions being voted upon by written ballot and necessitating the use of the polling place in all precincts with the polling hours prescribed by the Board of Selectmen.
[Amended 5-6-2019 ATM, Art. 27]
A. 
No person, unless a registered voter of the Town, may address a Town Meeting without special permission of the Moderator.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Former Subsection B, which stated: "The motion of 'calling for the questions,' 'calling the question,' 'close debate,' 'calling for a vote,' 'vote now,' or other similar forms shall not be permitted until every registered voter of the Town in attendance has had an opportunity to speak on the issue at hand," and which immediately followed this subsection, was repealed 9-15-2020 STM, Art. 3.
Any vote on any motion to raise and appropriate or appropriate money by issuing bonds or notes of the Town, excepting notes in anticipation of revenue for a current year, and any vote on any motion or proposal concerning an increase in the limit of indebtedness of the Town or an appropriation in excess thereof, shall be voted upon by written, secret ballot.
Before any vote on any motion to raise and appropriate or to raise or appropriate any sum of money in excess of the appropriation recommended by the Finance Committee for the current year, or on any motion seeking to raise and appropriate or raise or appropriate funds to be expended for a purpose not heretofore customarily made, the Moderator shall ask for a showing of hands by those who desire a written, secret ballot. If as many as 20 persons so indicate, the vote shall be by secret written ballot.
All elected boards and appointed committees shall, within 10 days after taking office, elect a Chairman and Secretary and give notice in writing of such election to the Town Clerk. They shall cause the Secretary to keep accurate records and minutes of all meetings.
Within 35 days of an open meeting of an elected or appointed board, minutes of the meeting must be posted on the Town website. If the board has not yet approved the minutes, "UNAPPROVED MINUTES" shall be written in large letters on the first page.
[Added 5-9-2016 ATM, Art. 34]
The Moderator shall appoint all committees authorized by Town Meeting within 21 days of said meeting. Said committees shall, within 10 days of such appointment, elect a Chairman and Secretary and give notice in writing of such election to the Town Clerk.
[Amended 5-6-2002 ATM, Art. 11]
All committees, whether appointed or elected, shall make a report to the Board of Selectmen for inclusion in the Annual Town Report, in addition to any other reports that may be required. Said annual reports shall reflect the previous fiscal year.
[Added 6-1-1992 ATM, Art. 2]
Motions for reconsideration may be permitted only if made within 15 minutes of the announcement of the result of the particular vote taken, and only one motion for reconsideration shall be allowed for any article before the Town Meeting.
[Adopted 5-7-2018 ATM, Art. 26; amended in its entirety 5-6-2019 ATM, Art. 25]