Post date: May 10, 2018 3:49:32 PM
Earlier this year, Beth Goodman had suggested that we consider using a consent agenda approach for some Town Meeting articles as it was something that she had seen in other towns and thought that it was an efficient way to process more routine articles, so that items that might potentially have more discussion come up earlier. About 20 towns in the state use some form of this. Following our pre-Town Meeting prep meeting with Select Board Chair, Treasurer, Town Manager, Town Clerk, Finance Committee Chair and Moderator, Adam Filson did some additional research and crafted the approach attached below (with opening narrative pasted directly below), to use in his introduction at the beginning of Town Meeting. The idea is to raise the opportunity and see if the meeting would like to try the approach. It is important to note, that just like the Select Board's consent agenda, any one request for a hold can remove an item from consent and provide for separate discussion.
Warrant articles on a Consent Agenda are exceptions to the general process of Town Meeting. The Chairs of the Board of Selectmen and Finance Committee, Moderator, Town Clerk, Treasurer and Town Manager identified, for Town Meeting consideration, those articles that they believe should generate no controversy and can be properly voted without debate. These articles are put on the Consent Agenda to allow motions under these articles to be acted upon as one unit and be passed without debate. At the call of the Consent Agenda, the Moderator will read out the numbers of the articles, one by one. If one or more voters object to any particular article being included in the Consent Agenda, they say “hold” in a loud voice when the number is called. The article will be removed automatically from the Consent Agenda and restored to its original place in the Warrant, to be debated and voted under the usual manner. After the calling of the individual items in the Consent Agenda, the Moderator will ask for a motion that the voters pass all items remaining as a unit on one vote. Use of the Consent Agenda process makes the Town Meeting more efficient by speeding up the handling of non-controversial items.
The Consent Agenda will be taken up as the third order of business at the commencement of the Annual Town Meeting on Tuesday, May 15, 2018, after the election of town officers and reports of town committees (Articles 1 and 2).
Please review the list of articles and motions proposed for each Consent Item which follows:
MOTION: Moved that the Town take Articles 3 through 12 and 16 through 20 out of order and that they be “Passed by Consent” in accordance with the Motions shown on the Consent Agenda distributed this evening.
SINGLE EXCEPTION WILL REMOVE ARTICLE FROM CONSENT AGENDA