§ 148-3. Procedure.  


Latest version.
  • A. 
    At any session of a Town Meeting held for the transaction of Town business (other than for the election of such officers as are required by law to be elected by ballot), no person whose name is not on the lists of voters shall be admitted to the part of the hall reserved for voters, and this provision shall be enforced by use of such lists. The Moderator shall determine the bounds of such reserved space.
    B. 
    All action taken at any Town Meeting shall be only upon those items contained in the Warrant for said Town Meeting, and all articles in the Warrant shall be acted upon in order unless otherwise voted by the Town Meeting. Printed copies of each Town Meeting Warrant, with the recommendations of the Finance Committee contained therein, shall be furnished to the voters of the Town in accordance with the provisions of the Charter and bylaws. (Charter § C-3.06)
    C. 
    All reports, motions, and resolutions submitted for the consideration of the Meeting involving the expenditure of money shall be in writing and any other report, motion, or resolution shall be reduced to writing if the Moderator so desires.
    D. 
    The duties of the Moderator and the government of the Town Meeting not specifically provided for by law or by the Town Charter or bylaws shall be determined by the rules of practice contained in "Robert's Rules of Order," Revised 75th Anniversary Edition, so far as they are adapted to the conditions and powers of the Town.
    E. 
    No person shall speak for more than five minutes for the second time on any subject if there are other citizens who desire to be, but have not been, heard on the same subject, without first obtaining leave of the Meeting.
    F. 
    Every person desiring to speak shall arise and address the chair, and after recognition is obtained, shall stand while speaking, unless the Moderator otherwise directs.
    G. 
    All votes on motions shall be taken in the first instance by a show of hands; if the Moderator be in doubt he may call for a second show of hands; if the Moderator still be in doubt, or whenever the vote as declared by the Moderator be immediately questioned by seven or more voters, the vote then shall be taken by a count of the number of hands raised in the affirmative and in the negative by the voters; said count to be taken by sworn tellers appointed by the Moderator for the Meeting.
    H. 
    When a question is before the Meeting, the following motions, to wit:
    (1) 
    To adjourn
    (2) 
    To lay on the table
    (3) 
    For the previous question
    (4) 
    To postpone to a certain time
    (5) 
    To commit, recommit, or refer
    (6) 
    To amend
    (7) 
    To postpone indefinitely,
    shall be received and shall have precedence in the foregoing order, and the first three shall be decided without debate.
    I. 
    No vote shall be reconsidered except after the affirmative vote of 2/3 of the voters present and voting on a motion to reconsider such vote. Any voter may move to reconsider except that no motion to reconsider shall be made at any adjourned session of the same Meeting unless the mover has given notice of his intention to move reconsideration at the session of the Meeting at which the vote was passed. A vote shall not be reconsidered a second time or after a motion to reconsider has failed to pass.
    J. 
    No motion, the effect of which would be to dissolve a Town Meeting, shall be in order until every article in the Warrant has been duly considered and acted upon; but this shall not prevent the postponement of action on, or the consideration of, any article to an adjournment of Meeting to a stated time.
    [Amended 5-5-2008 ATM, Art. 28]