The legislative powers of the town shall be exercised by a town
meeting open to all voters.
All sessions of the town meeting shall be presided over by a
moderator, elected as provided in Part III. The moderator shall regulate
the proceedings, decide questions of order, and make public declaration
of all votes. The moderator shall have all of the powers and duties
given to moderators under the constitution and the laws of the commonwealth,
and such additional powers and duties as may be authorized by the
charter, by bylaw or by other town meeting vote.
The annual town meeting shall be held on such date or dates
as may from time to time be fixed by bylaw.
[Amended 1-13-2021 by
Chapter 344, Acts of 2020]
Special town meetings shall be held at the call of the select
board at such times as it may deem appropriate and whenever a special
meeting is requested by the voters in accordance with procedures made
available by the laws of the commonwealth.
The town clerk shall serve as the clerk to the town meeting.
In the event of unavoidable absence, the town clerk shall designate
a substitute; otherwise, the moderator shall appoint a clerk pro tempore.
The town clerk shall give notice of all meetings to the public, keep
a journal of its proceedings and perform such other functions as may
be provided by the laws of the commonwealth, by the charter, by bylaw
or by other town meeting vote.
[Amended 1-13-2021 by
Chapter 344, Acts of 2020]
Except for procedural matters, all subjects to be acted on by
town meeting shall be placed on warrants issued by the select board.
The select board shall receive all petitions addressed to it which
require the submission of particular subject matter to the town meeting
in accordance with the laws of the commonwealth. All such requests
for the inclusion of subjects shall be in writing but they shall not
be required to conform to any particular style or form except that
each request for a particular subject shall be submitted as a separate
petition.
[Amended 1-13-2021 by
Chapter 344, Acts of 2020]
In addition to any notice required by the laws of the commonwealth,
the select board shall cause the annual town meeting warrant to be
mailed to each residence of one or more voters. Such distribution
shall occur at least fourteen (14) days prior to the town meeting.
Failure of a voter to receive such warrant shall not invalidate the
action of the town meeting.
[Added 5-11-2009 ATM
by Art. 31, approved 5-13-2010 Annual Town Election; amended 1-10-2013 by Chapter 457, Acts of 2012]
The exercise of the legislative power by a vote of town meeting
shall be presumed to be binding and shall be implemented by a designated
town agency or department in conformance with the law or such vote.
