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4134L 1 2/9/90 GT/DK <br />Town of Reading Rules Committee <br />Minutes No. 10, February 8, 1990 <br />The Rules Committee met at the Town Hall Conference Room at 7:30 P.M. <br />Rules Committee members present were: <br />H. Higgott <br />R. Lynch <br />0. Smith <br />S. Nitzsche <br />G. Theophanis <br />V. Carlson <br />Minutes No. 9 were approved by a vote of 6:0. Guest was R. Graham, <br />Chairman of the Board of Selectmen. Graham supports starting Town Meeting on <br />time regardless of the number of members present to get promptness started. <br />This may require a charter or laws change. He feels that apparent lack of <br />confidence in the credaibility of the administration is confined to a vocal few <br />Town Meeting members, witness the vote outcome. He feels that the Selectmen <br />cannot exercise more leadership in Town Meeting because of the power <br />established in the Town Manager by the Charter, although he does not feel that <br />there is a great difference between the Town Manager/Selectmen and <br />Superintendent/School Committee relationships. He feels Town Meeting <br />frustration is due to a combination of the power given to the Town Manager by <br />the charter, fiscal constraints of Proposition 2 1/2 and labor contracts. <br />Discussion turned to the warrant. Graham feels Town Meeting does not <br />know exactly what it wants in terms of amount of background information. He <br />agrees that the Rules Committee would be a good vehicle for transmitting Town <br />Meeting member desires to the Administration. The subject of pretown meeting <br />precinct meetings arose, and it was agreed that we should consider reviving <br />this practice. Graham feels that within limits the moderator should take a <br />stronger position in controlling repeat speakers. He does not feel strongly <br />on how additional Town Meeting sessions should be provided more specials or <br />an`additional regularly scheduled. He brought up the issue of Town Meeting <br />falling on a holiday such as Passover. He suggested that the Selectmen may <br />move to change Annual Town Meeting to a different month. It was also <br />suggested that the moderator postpone the session to the next day on a <br />meeting-by-meeting basis. <br />Next meeting either March 6 or 8. <br />Meeting adjourned 9:20 P.M <br />R,e,pectfu1 submi ed <br />George A. Theophans Clerk <br />