[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Meeting of the Town of Plymouth 4-16-1974 ATM by Art. 58 (Ch. 173 of the 1999 Code). Amendments noted where applicable.]
[Amended 10-27-1997 STM by Art. 2; 4-1-2023 ATM by Art. 19; 10-18-2025 ATM by Art. 10]
The Moderator may take all votes requiring a two-thirds majority in the same manner in which he or she conducts the taking of a vote when a majority is required.
[Amended 6-27-1984 STM by Art. 4]
Any vacancy in any committee created under a vote of the Town shall be filled by the appointing authority in the same manner as the original appointment.
[Amended 11-2-1999 by Art. 18; 4-9-2012 ATM by Art. 22; 4-1-2023 ATM by Art. 19; 10-18-2025 ATM by Art. 10]
The Town Meeting shall meet annually on the first Saturday in April and at such other times as may be determined by vote of the Town Meeting. The regular election for all Town offices shall be by official ballot held in accordance with the Town Charter. The Fall Annual Town Meeting shall convene on the third Saturday in October; provided, however, that the Select Board may, consistent with MGL c. 39, § 9, delay the date of said Fall Annual Town Meeting to a date no later than November 30.
[Amended 6-27-1984 STM by Art. 4]
A. 
Formation.
(1) 
The motion for the formation of any committee by Town Meeting shall indicate whether said committee shall be a permanent or temporary committee and shall provide for the filing of reports by said committee to subsequent Annual Town Meetings.
(2) 
For any permanent committee formed by Town Meeting, the motion shall also provide for three-year overlapping terms.
(3) 
The motion for the formation of any temporary committee must only provide for the term of membership, not to exceed three years.
B. 
Organization. When a committee is created by a vote of either an Annual or Special Town Meeting, the temporary chairperson thereof shall be designated by the appointing authority, and it shall be his or her duty to call members for organization within 30 days of his or her receipt of notification of his or her appointment. If he or she fails to call such organizational meeting within the prescribed time, it shall be the duty of the appointing authority to call such meeting.
C. 
Reports.
(1) 
Reports by any permanent or temporary committee formed by Town Meeting shall be submitted to the Annual Town Meeting in written form unless specific instructions to the contrary are made by the Town Meeting.
(2) 
Copies of written reports shall be submitted to the Town Clerk no later than 30 days prior to the earliest date on which the first business session of the Annual Town Meeting is to be held, but in no event later than April 1. It shall be the responsibility of the Town Clerk to compile such reports and distribute copies of such to Town Meeting members prior to the Annual Town Meeting.
(3) 
If no report is made by any committee in accordance with the vote of Town Meeting, the committee shall be deemed discharged. Such committee discharged under the terms of this subsection shall only be re-formed by a vote of either an Annual or Special Town Meeting.
D. 
Review of committee status.
(1) 
Existing committees created by a vote of Town Meeting. Each existing committee created by a vote of Town Meeting shall be reviewed at the next Annual Town Meeting following the acceptance of this section, at which time Town Meeting shall:
(a) 
Vote to continue or discharge the committee.
(b) 
Designate each committee as either permanent or temporary.
(c) 
Establish the review date for said committee, said review date to be no later than three years following such designation.
(d) 
Establish provisions for three-year overlapping terms.
(2) 
Committees created after the acceptance of this section by Town Meeting. Each committee created by a vote of Town Meeting subsequent to the acceptance of this section shall be reviewed at the third Annual Town Meeting following the Annual Town Meeting at which it was created, unless otherwise stipulated by Town Meeting.
(3) 
Petitioned review. The acceptance of this section does not preclude or prohibit any individual or individuals from petitioning either an Annual or Special Town Meeting for the review of the status of any committee created by Town Meeting.
(4) 
Committees exempt from review status. Any committee, commission, board or other bodies formed by Town Meeting by the acceptance of any legislative acts of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts shall be exempt from the review process of this section.
[Amended 10-18-2025 ATM by Art. 10]
At any Annual or Special Town Meeting, a recess shall be called within every two-hour period of a session.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Original § 173-6, Attendance record, of the 1999 Code, which immediately followed this section, was repealed 10-18-2025 ATM by Art. 10.
Any article appearing on the warrant by petition shall have appended thereto the name of the first person signing said petition and the words "et al."
[Amended 6-27-1984 STM by Art. 4; 10-18-2025 ATM by Art. 10]
A copy of the Town Charter, Town of Plymouth Bylaws and any specific rules and regulations that pertain to Town Meeting and adopted by the Town of Plymouth shall be available on the Town of Plymouth's website for review by every newly elected Town Meeting member with the notice of his or her election.
Any motion which might be divisible upon vote of the Town Meeting shall be divided, and the question shall be put separately upon each portion thereof.
[Amended 10-18-2025 ATM by Art. 10]
Notice of the time and place at which any adjourned session of a Town Meeting is to be held shall be posted on the Town of Plymouth's website on or before the day of the adjourned meeting.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Original § 173-11, Number of Town Meeting members; terms of office, of the 1999 Code, added 4-5-1980 STM by Art. 5 and amended 4-6-1987 ATM by Art. 14 and by Section 2-2-1 of 1999 Charter, which immediately followed this section, was repealed 10-18-2025 ATM by Art. 10.
[Added 10-18-2014 by Art. 24; 10-18-2025 ATM by Art. 10]
A. 
Voting process. The Moderator shall take all votes by voice, raising of hands or use of an electronic tally and display system.
B. 
Electronic tally and display system. Votes taken by an electronic tally and display system shall be visible to the Town Meeting members and any members of the public present at the meeting. The display shall show each Town Meeting member's name; precinct; "yes," "no" or "abstain" vote; and a tally of all votes.
C. 
Matters requiring a two-thirds vote by statute. In matters requiring a two-thirds vote by statute, the Moderator may declare the vote based upon the raising of hands. If seven or more members of Town Meeting question the vote, the Moderator shall count the vote. If an electronic tally and display system is used, the tally shall constitute a counted vote; if such a vote is questioned by seven or more members of Town Meeting, the Moderator shall manually tally the electronically recorded votes.
D. 
Record of votes taken by electronic tally. The Town Clerk shall make available in the Town Clerk's office and on the Town's website within a reasonable time after a session in which a vote(s) was taken by the use of an electronic tally and display system a list, organized by precinct, which shall disclose how each Town Meeting member voted.
E. 
Regulations. After a public hearing, the Moderator, in consultation with the Select Board and Town Clerk, shall be authorized to adopt regulations for the purpose of facilitating implementation of this bylaw and ensuring the security and integrity of the voting process.
[Added 4-5-2025 ATM by Art. 28]
Each Precinct Caucus shall have provision in its agenda for public comment. At the discretion of the Chair, public comment may be made at one time or interspersed with presentations at the meeting. A minimum of two minutes may be allowed for each public comment speaker but may be allowed a longer period at the discretion of the Chair. The Chair, after consultation with the precinct's Town Meeting members present, may set a limit to or extend the length of time for any public comment. Public comments cannot be censored.