notalawyer wrote:

I feel that it is important to be prepared for a Motion to Reconsider, if the Moderator allows it.

Usually, procedures allow one such motion. The Moderator quickly went over some ground rules for such a motion, making it sound as if there is a high bar to such a motion. But is there?

One criterion he mentioned, if I heard him correctly, was the presentation of "new" information, whatever that means. Could the BoS make a case for a motion to reconsider by conjuring up "new" information, perhaps from the famous pile of 2" thick dossiers?

And, you need to keep in mind the words of one our great American thinkers, Yogi Berra:
"It ain't over 'til it's over!"
Good quote. Even for a Yankee. PS

speaking of motions, it seemed to me that the Moderator should have ruled Brenda's motion at the end of the meeting to be out of order. Why? I heard her motion as "adjourn & dissolve". Well, aren't those contradictory? The Moderator either only heard the dissolve, or chose to ignore the adjourn. He was calling for a motion to adjourn, was he not. Pretty poor stuff.


This a great start, but it is a start. It is not a sprint, it is a marathon. Remember Robert Frost:
"and miles to go before I sleep..."

NAL, I like this one.

Robert Frost: The Road Not Taken (1915)

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth.

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same.

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

PShooter
TAKEBACKWAREHAM

Last edited by PShooter (2009-10-27 10:36:17)

From Town Meeting Time- section 63, "To dissolve town meeting".......A motion to dissolve town meeting (or to "adjourn without day," which has the same effect) is not in order as long as any article on the warrant remains undisposed of."

The moderator had this very same issue with a previous town meeting. He allowed a meeting to be dissolved when there were articles remaining to be discussed. The matter was vetted with him and he admitted that he was wrong in allowing that type of motion. Yet, he allowed it again knowing from his past experience that he should not.

I don't know about you, but I make a mistake once, I don't do it again. He should have known better.

I couldn't make last nights meeting but will be there tonight. I read that article 1 went by fast. Can you ask to reconsider because the TA was given $49,850 extra money for Westfield but it was voted down?

From Wiki:
An open town meeting is a form of municipal legislature, typical in the New England region of the United States.

In Massachusetts, for example...[1] The Board of Selectmen call the town meeting into existence by issuing the warrant, which is the list of items--known as articles--to be voted on, with descriptions of each article. The Moderator officiates the meeting by reading each article, explaining it, and making sure the rules of parliamentary procedure are followed, interprets voice votes and counts other votes. The Finance Committee makes recommendations on articles dealing with money, and often drafts the proposed budget. The Town Clerk serves as the clerk of the meeting by recording its results. Town Counsel makes legal recommendations on all articles of the warrant, to ensure town meeting is acting lawfully. All registered voters are free to attend and vote on any and all articles in the open town meeting.

PShooter
TAKEBACKWAREHAM

Last edited by PShooter (2009-10-27 16:27:51)