TO BE APPROVED - TO BE APPROVED -TO BE APPROVED
Minutes of the Government Study Committee Meeting
November 12, 2003
Selectmen’s Office
PRESENT: George Bailey, Andrew Nebenzahl, Gloria Rose, Patricia Zlotin, Anne Carney
ABSENT: David Fixler, Dennis Friedman
The meeting was called to order at 7:40 PM by Chairman Anne Carney. The first item for discussion was the date that a question would have to be submitted to the Town Clerk in order to be on the May town election ballot. Pat Zlotin volunteered to check this out. Some of the members felt it might be a good idea to have some kind of question on the ballot in May while other members felt that was premature and recommendations should wait until the fall. This will be an item to be discussed again.
Anne Carney then went over her discussion with Marlene Chused concerning the list of ideas that the committee had come up with at its previous meeting concerning making open town meeting more efficient. The Town Clerk was receptive to: swearing in the counters before the meeting started; placing all budget articles first (this would need to be proposed to the Selectmen); having the moderator announce the new finance committee members either in the warrant or in the newspaper in advance of town meeting. The Town Clerk checked this out with the Moderator and his only concern was that the nominating committee might not have the names much before the town meeting.
The Town Clerk and Moderator both had issues with the idea of having the proponent of an article be able to give a synopsis of his position in the warrant. Who would review what was written and decide that it was an accurate account of what the article would do?
It might get very out of hand. Neither the Town Clerk nor the Moderator liked the idea of trying to have like articles considered on specific nights of town meeting. If a meeting got through its articles early in the evening, they wanted to continue considering the rest of the articles rather than wait for another day. Both cited the expense of another night of town meeting if it wasn’t really necessary.
Discussion of a date for the public hearing that was going to look at the three different forms of governance was held. The agreed upon date is January 22, 2004. Pat Zlotin volunteered to see if the high school library was available. The committee then reviewed an informational paper written by George Bailey concerning the council form of governance. Pat said she would merge this information with the work she had done on open town meeting and representative town meeting. The committee then discussed a flyer that could be handed out at the December 8th special town meeting that would publicize the meeting. The committee also came up with a web site address where the Government Study Committee could be contacted. sharongovstudy@yahoo.com
Other ways to get out information were also discussed such as having the program on cable and an article for the Advocate. Any member with an idea for the brochure should contact Anne as soon as possible.
The next meeting is scheduled for December 16, 2003.
Adjournment at 9:45 PM.
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