[ATM Art. 19, 5-3-2022]
The legislative powers of the Town shall be exercised by a town
meeting open to all voters.
[ATM Art. 29 5-4-2010, 2010; ATE 4-26-2011, 2011]
The moderator, elected as provided in section
3-4, shall preside at all sessions of the town meeting. In the event of the temporary absence or disability of the moderator, a temporary moderator may be elected by law.
The moderator, at town meetings, shall regulate the proceedings,
decide all questions of order, make public declaration of all votes
and may exercise such additional powers and duties as may be authorized
by general law, by this charter, by by-law or by other vote of the
town meeting.
The annual town meeting shall be held during April, May or June,
on a date fixed by by-law.
Special town meetings may be held at the call of the board of
selectmen at such times as they deem necessary, or desirable, in order
to transact the legislative business of the town in an orderly manner.
Special town meetings may also be held on the petition of two hundred
or more voters, in the manner provided by general law. The town clerk
shall, upon request, make available to voters forms for the calling
of a special town meeting.
Every town meeting shall be called by a warrant issued by the
board of selectmen which shall state the time and place at which the
meeting is to convene and, by separate articles, the subject matter
to be acted upon. The publication of the warrant for every town meeting
shall be in accordance with a town by-law governing such matters.
[ATM Art. 30 5-4-2010, 2010; ATE 4-26-2011, 2011]
(a) Initiation
- The board of selectmen shall receive at any time petitions addressed
to it which request the submission of any matter to the town meeting
and which are filed by: (1) any elected town officer, (2) any multiple
member body acting by a majority of its members, (3) any ten voters
for a regular town meeting and any one hundred voters for a special
town meeting.
(b) Referral
- Forthwith following receipt of any petition containing a proposed
warrant article, the board of selectmen shall cause a copy of the
proposal to be delivered in hand, or mailed, to the residence of the
chairperson of the finance committee, a copy to be posted on the town
bulletin board and shall cause such other distribution to be made
of each such proposal as may be required by law or by by-law.
(c) Inclusion
on Warrant - The board of selectmen shall include on the warrant,
for a regular town meeting, the subject matter of all petitions which
have been received by it 60 or more days prior to the date fixed by
by-law for town meeting to convene. The board of selectmen shall not
include in any such warrant the subject matter of any petition which
has been received by it after said day nor shall any matter originating
with the board be included after said date. The board of selectmen
shall close the warrant for the annual town meeting no later than
28 days before the date of the annual town meeting.
Whenever a special town meeting is to be called, the board of
selectmen shall give notice by publication in a local newspaper of
such intention and shall notify all town agencies of its intention
to do so. The board of selectmen shall include in the warrant, for
such special town meeting, the subject matter of all petitions which
are received at its office on or before the close of the fifth business
day following such publication.
Every town officer, the chairperson of each multiple member
body, the head of each department and the head of each division within
the said departments shall attend all sessions of the town meeting
at which warrant articles pertinent to their agency are or may be
acted upon for the purpose of providing the town meeting with information
pertinent to all such matters as appear in the warrant for the town
meeting.
In the event any town officer, chairperson of a multiple member
body, department or division head is to be absent due to illness or
other reasonable cause, such person shall designate a deputy to attend
to represent the office, multiple member body, department or division.
If any person designated to attend the town meeting under this section
is not a voter, such person shall, notwithstanding, have a right to
address the meeting for the purpose of compliance with this section.
The town clerk shall serve as clerk of the town meeting, give
public notice of all adjourned sessions of the town meeting, record
its proceedings, and perform such additional duties in connection
therewith as may be provided by general law, by this charter, by by-law
or by other town meeting vote.
The town meeting may, by by-law, establish and from time to
time amend, revise or repeal rules to govern the conduct of all town
meetings.
[ATM Art. 19, 5-3-2022]
All powers of the Town, except as otherwise provided by law
or this charter, shall be vested in the town meeting. The town meeting
shall provide for the exercise of all of the powers of the Town and
for the performance of all duties and obligations imposed upon the
Town for which no other provision is made in this charter, or by by-law.