The legislative powers of the Town shall continue to be exercised by a Town Meeting open to all voters.
The Moderator is the Presiding Officer at all Town Meetings. At the first Town Meeting under the Moderator's tenure of office, the Moderator shall appoint a Deputy Moderator to serve when the Moderator is absent. The appointment of a Deputy Moderator shall be subject to confirmation by the Town Meeting.
Subject to authorization by the Town Meeting or by the Charter or by Bylaw, the Moderator shall appoint member(s) to committees, including standing, special, and ad hoc committees. The Moderator shall perform such other duties as may from time to time be assigned to the Moderator, by the Moderator, by Bylaw, or other vote of the Town Meeting.
The Moderator holds sole authority to maintain good order, civil conduct, and discourse and to determine the relevance, nature, duration, and timing of all presentations, written or otherwise, in order to ensure that diverse viewpoints and concerns are represented and heard.
Voting at Town Meetings will be by electronic devices or any other form determined appropriate by the Moderator.
The Annual Town Meeting for the transaction of the Town's business shall be held on the fourth Monday of April or on such date as may from time to time be fixed by the Bylaws of the Town.
The Select Board shall prepare the Warrants for the Annual Town Meeting and for Special Town Meetings.
The Town Clerk shall cause to be posted the Warrant for the Annual Town Meeting and all Special Town Meetings in the Town Hall, the post offices, the Town Library, and on the Town's official website on the respective dates required by state statute or local Bylaw.
Insertion of articles in the Warrant for Town Meetings by petition of the voters shall follow the procedures and stipulations of Chapter 39, Section 10 of the Massachusetts General Laws. Articles shall be inserted in the Warrant for any Annual Town Meeting by the Select Board upon their receipt in writing of a petition signed by 10 or more registered voters. For a Special Town Meeting, articles shall be inserted by the Select Board upon their receipt in writing of a petition signed by 100 or more voters, or 10% of the voters, whichever is fewer. All signatures on said petition are subject to certification by the Registrars.
A Special Town Meeting shall be called by the Select Board within 45 days after their receipt of a petition for that purpose signed by 200 or more voters, or 20% of voters, whichever is fewer. All signatures on said petition are subject to certification by the Registrars.
Every Town officer, the head of each department, and the head of each division within the said department shall attend all sessions of the Annual Town Meeting for the purpose of providing pertinent information. In the event any Town officer, department head, or division head is to be absent due to illness or other reasonable cause, a deputy shall be designated by the Town officer, head of the department, or head of the division to attend the meeting. The Town Administrator shall determine which Town officers, department heads, and division heads, if any, shall attend all sessions of a the Special Town Meeting. In the event any Town officer, department head, or division head is to be absent due to illness or other reasonable cause, a deputy shall be designated by the Town officer, department head, or division head with the approval of the Town Administrator.