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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2016-11-21 Special Town Meeting Warrant ReportSPECIAL TOWN MEETING NOVEMBER 21, 2016 TABLE OF CONTENTS Article Title Sponsor Pape 1 Reports Board of Selectmen 2 2 Instructions Board of Selectmen 2 3 Amending the Capital Improvement Program FY2017 — FY2027 Board of Selectmen 3 4 Act Authorizing the Town of Reading to Grant Licenses for the Sale of Alcoholic Beverages Board of Selectmen 3 APPENDIX Conduct of Town Meeting 6 Town Meeting Handout Guidelines 13 COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS Middlesex, as. Officer's Return, Reading: By virtue of this Warrant, I, on October 76 , 2016 noted and warned the inhabitants of the Town of Reading, qualified to vote in Town elections and Town affairs, to meet at the place and at the time specified by posting attested copies of this Town Meeting Warrant in the following public places within the Town of Reading: Precinct 1 J. Warren Killam School, 333 Charles Street Precinct 2 Reading Police Station, 15 Union Street Precinct 3 Reading Municipal Light Department, 230 Ash Street Precinct 4 Joshua Eaton School, 365 Summer Avenue Precinct 5 Walter S. Parker Middle School, 45 Temple Street Precinct 6 Barrows School, 16 Edgemont Avenue Precinct 7 Birch Meadow School, 27 Arthur B Lord Drive Precinct 8 Wood End School, 85 Sunset Rock Lane Town Hall, 16 Lowell Street The date of posting being not less than fourteen (14) days prior to November 21, 2016, the date set for Special Town Meeting in this Warrant. I also caused a posting of this Warrant to be published on. the Town of Reading websiteon Urrnhrr 76 12016. A true copy Attest: In Laura Gemme, Town Clerk 1 omas Freem n _ , Constable TOWN WARRANT COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS Middlesex, ss. To any of the Constables of the Town of Reading, Greetings: In the name of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, you are hereby required to notify and warn the inhabitants of the Town of Reading, qualified to vote in Town elections and Town affairs, to meet at the Reading Memorial High School Performing Arts Center, 62 Oakland Road, in said Reading, on Monday, November 21, 2016, at seven -thirty o'clock in the evening, at which time and place the following articles are to be acted upon and determined exclusively by Town Meeting Members in accordance with the provisions of the Reading Home Rule Charter. ARTICLE 1 To hear and act on the reports of the Board. of Selectmen, School Committee, Library Trustees, Municipal Light Board, Finance Committee, Bylaw Committee, Town Manager, Town Accountant and any other Town Official, Board or Committee. Board of Selectmen Backaround: This article appears on the Warrant for all Town Meetings. At this Special Town Meeting, no reports are anticipated. ARTICLE 2 To choose all other necessary Town Officers and Boards or Committees and determine what instructions shall be given Town Officers and Boards or Committees, and to see what sum the Town will vote to appropriate by borrowing or transfer from available funds, or otherwise, for the purpose of funding Town Officers and Boards or Committees to tarty out the instructions given to them, or take any other action with respect thereto. Board of Selectmen Background: This Article appears on the Warrant of all Town Meetings. There are no known Instructional Motions at this time. The Town Moderator requires that all proposed Instructional Motions be submitted to the Town Clerk in advance so that Town Meeting Members may be °warned" as to the subject of an Instructional Motion in advance of the motion being made. Instructional Motions are normally held until the end of all other business at Town Meeting. Finance Committee Report: No report. Bylaw Committee Report: No report. ARTICLE 3 To see if the Town will vote to amend the FY 2017-27 Capital Improvements Program as provided for in Section 7.7 of the Reading Home Rule Charter and as previously amended, or take any other action with respect thereto. Board of Selectmen Backaround: This Article is included in every Town Meeting Warrant. The Reading General Bylaw (section 6.1.3) states °... No funds may be appropriated for any capital item unless such item is included in the Capital Improvements Program (CIP), and is scheduled for funding in the Fiscal Year in which the appropriation is to be made." Bond ratings agencies also want to ensure that changes to a long-term CIP are adequately described. There are no proposed changes to the FY2017 — FY2027 CIP. Finance Committee Report: No report. Bylaw Committee Report: No report. ARTICLE 4 To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Board of Selectmen, on behalf of the Town, to petition the General Court for passage of a special law substantially as provided below. The Legislature may make clerical or editorial changes in form only to the bill, unless the Board of Selectmen approves amendments to the bill before enactment by the Legislature. The Board of Selectmen is hereby authorized to approve amendments that shall be within the scope of the general public objectives of this petition. AN ACT AUTHORIZING THE TOWN OF READING TO GRANT LICENSES FOR THE SALE OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES SECTION 1. Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 11 of Chapter 138 of the General Laws, or any other general or special law to the contrary, the licensing authority of the Town of Reading shall be authorized to grant licenses, for the sale of all alcoholic beverages and wine or malt beverages only, pursuant to Section 12 of said Chapter 138; and to grant licenses for the sale of all alcoholic beverages pursuant to Section 15 of said Chapter 138. SECTION 2. In addition to any licenses authorized by Chapter 459 of the Acts of 2011 or other special law, licenses for the sale of all alcoholic beverages may be granted pursuant to Section 12 and Section 15 of Chapter 138 of the General Laws as provided in the first full paragraph of Section 17 of said Chapter 138; and licenses, for the sale of wine and malt beverages only, may be granted pursuant to Section 12 of said Chapter as provided in the second full paragraph of Section 17 of said Chapter 138. SECTION 3. Any license granted for the sale of alcoholic beverages prior to the effective date of this Act shall remain in full force and effect and shall be included in any determination, pursuant to Section 17 of Chapter 138 of the General Laws, of the number of licenses allowed to be granted by the Town of Reading; provided that the licensee continues to comply with said Chapter 138 and the terms and conditions of its license. or take any other action with respect thereto. Board of Selectmen Backaround: In the spring of 2017 the Massachusetts Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission (ABCC) plans to introduce an online application process for liquor licenses in local communities. Currently such applications are processed only in-person through the Town Manager's Office. In working very recently with the state in advance of this online service launch, we have learned there are discrepancies between the amount of liquor licenses that Reading believes it has and what the ABCC believes the town has. For example a 2005 Town Meeting voted against authorizing beer & wine package stores, but the ABCC believes the town has five such licenses. Below is the certified Article from the 2005 Annual Town Meeting showing the vote on beer & wine package store licenses: ARTICLE 25 — On motion by Camille W Anthony, member of the Board of Selectmen, it was moved to authorize the Board of Selectmen to petition the General Court for a special act providing that notwithstanding Section 17 of Chapter 138 of the General Laws, or any other general or special law to the contrary, rive licenses may be granted in the Town of Reading for the sale of wine and malt beverages not to be drunk on the premises under Section 15 of Chapter 138 of the General Laws. Such licenses shall be subject to all of said Chapter 138, except for Section 17, said special act to take effect after an affirmative vote at a Town Electron following approval of the special act. And, further, that the Board of Selectmen is hereby authorized to take all necessary action in support of this Article. Counted Vote Requested 12 voted in the affirmative 112 voted in the negative Motion did not carry We also discovered some possible discrepancies in liquor license records that date back to the early 1970s. Since time was of the essence, we devoted our legal resources to fixing this problem rather than fully understandingwhy the ABCC differs from Reading. This Article will tell the ABCC clearly and exactly what licenses the Town of Reading has. Only two paths forward accomplish this.. A typical approach used by communities since the 1970s is to go straight to the voters in three consecutive state elections. That path in this instance would take six years. This Article will instead request an immediate home rule petition, which will then likely be required to go to local voters in April 2017. This timing should avoid the possibility of a good faith application made through the online ABCC system for a license the town does not have being made, and protect all existing licenses that have been issued. Note that requests for beer and wine package store licenses do regularly appear currently in the Town Manager's Office where they are denied. In the future, the Board of Selectmen may consider changes to the current liquor license policy and request action by Town Meeting. However this Article is simply to maintain the status quo. Finance Committee Report: No report Bylaw Committee Report: No report. and you are directed to serve this Warrant by posting an attested copy thereof in at least one (1) public place in each precinct of the Town not less than fourteen (14) days prior to November 21, 2016, or providing in a manner such as electronic submission, holding for pickup or mailing, an attested copy of said Warrant to each Town Meeting Member. Hereof fail not and make due return of this Warrant with your doings thereon to the Town Clerk at or before the time appointed for said meeting. Given under our hands this 250 day of October , 2016. SELECTMEN OF READING 7fiomas Freeman, Constable CONDUCT OF TOWN MEETING Reading's Town Meeting is conducted in accordance with the rules set down in Article 2 of the Charter and the General Bylaws. Although Town Meeting Time Third Edition is the basic source, a Town Meeting Member need only be familiar with what is contained in the Charter. These notes are intended to outline the major points all Town Meeting Members should know, and which by knowing will make Town Meeting more understandable. Organization • Town Meeting consists of 192 elected members, of which 97 constitute a quorum. • There are two required sessions: The Annual Meeting in Spring which is primarily for fiscal matters and acceptance of the annual budget, and the Subsequent Meeting in November. Special Town Meetings may be called at any time that the need arises. • There are three main committees which review certain Articles and advise Town Meeting of their recommendations: Finance for all expenditures of funds, Bylaw for all bylaw changes, and the Community Planning and Development Commission for all zoning changes. Their reports are given prior to discussing the motion. General Rules Of Procedure • The Meeting is conducted through the Warrant Articles which are presented (moved) as motions. Only one motion may be on the floor at a time; however, the motion may be amended. Often two or more Articles which address the same subject may be discussed together, however, only one is formally on the floor, and each when moved is acted upon individually. Note that the vote on one may influence the others. • Members who wish to speak shall rise, state their name and precinct in order to be recognized. • A Member may speak for ten (10) minutes but permission must be asked to exceed this limit. • Seven (7) Members can question a vote and call for a standing count, and twenty (20) can ask for a roll call vote; however, a roll call vote is seldom used because of the time it takes. Principal Motion Encountered At Town Meeting The following motions are the principal ones used in most cases by Town Meeting to conduct its business. Experience shows that the Members should be familiar with these. • Adjourn: Ends the sessions, can be moved at any time. • Recess: Stops business for a short time, generally to resolve a procedural question or to obtain information. • Lay on the Table: Stops debate with the intention generally of bringing the subject up again later. May also be used to defer action on an Article for which procedurally a negative vote is undesirable. Note that tabled motions die with adjournment. • Move the Previous Question: Upon acceptance by a two-thirds (213) vote, stops all debate and brings the subject to a vote. This is generally the main motion, or the most recent amendment, unless qualified by the mover. The reason for this as provided in Robert's Rules of Order is to allow for other amendments should they wish to be presented. • Amend: Offers changes to the main motion. Must be in accordance with the motion and may not substantially alter the intent of the motion. In accordance with Robert's Rules of Order, only one primary and one secondary motion will be allowed on the floor at one time, unless specifically accepted by the Moderator. • Indefinitely Postpone: Disposes of the Article without a yes or no vote. • Take from the Table: Brings back a motion which was previously laid on the table. • Main Motion: The means by which a subject is brought before the Meeting. The Following Motions May Be Used By A Member For The Purpose Noted: " • Question of Privilege: Sometimes used to offer a resolution. Should not be used to "steal" the floor. • Point of Order: To raise a question concerning the conduct of the Meeting. • Point of Information: To ask for information relevant to the business at hand. Multiple Motions Subsequent (Multiple) Motions If the subsequent motion to be offered, as distinct from an amendment made during debate, includes material which has previously been put to a vote and defeated, it will be viewed by the Moderator as reconsideration and will not be accepted. If the subsequent motion contains distinctly new material which is within the scope of the Warrant Article, then it will be accepted. An example of this latter situation is successive line items of an omnibus budget moved as a block. Subject To The Following Considerations • The maker of any proposed multiple motion shall make their intent known, and the content of the motion to be offered shall be conveyed to the Moderator - prior to the initial calling of the Warrant Article. • Once an affirmative vote has been taken on the motion then on the floor - no further subsequent alternative motions will be accepted. (Obviously does not apply to the budget, for example.) • Also - There can only be one motion on the floor at any one time. You have the ability to offer amendments to the motion that is on the floor. You also have the ability to move for reconsideration. Town Of Reading Bylaw - Article 2 Town Meeting 2.1 General 2.1.1 Date of Annual Town Election The Annual Town Meeting shall be held on the third Tuesday preceding the fourth Monday in April of each year for the election of Town Officers and for such other matters as required by law to be determined by ballot. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board of Selectmen may schedule the commencement of the Annual Town Meeting for the same date designated as the date to hold any Federal or State election. 2.1.2 Hours of Election The polls for the Annual Town Meeting shall be opened at 7:00 AM and shall remain open until 8:00 PM. 2.1.3 Annual Town Meetina Business Sessions All business of the Annual Town Meeting, except the election of such Town officers and the determination of such matters are required by law to be elected or determined by ballot, shall be considered at an adjournment of such meeting to be held at 7:30 PM on the fourth Monday in April, except if this day shall fall on legal holiday, in which case the meeting shall be held on the following day or at a further adjournment thereof. 2.1.4 Subsequent. Town Meetina A Special Town Meeting called the Subsequent Town Meeting shall be held on the second Monday in November, except if this day shall fall on a legal holiday, in which case the meeting shall be held on the following day. The Subsequent Town Meeting shall consider and act on all business as may properly come before it except the adoption of the annual operating budget. 2.1.5 Adjourned Town Meetina Sessions Adjoumed,sessions of every Annual Town Meeting after the first such adjourned session provided for in Section 2.1.3 of this Article and all sessions of every Subsequent Town Meeting, shall be held on the following Thursday at 7:30 PM and then on the following Monday at 7:30 PM, and on consecutive Mondays and Thursdays unless a resolution to adjourn to another time is adopted by a majority vote of Town Meeting Members present and voting. 2.1.6 Posting of the Warrant The Board of Selectmen shall give notice of the Annual, Subsequent or any Special Town Meeting at least fourteen (14) days prior to the time of holding said meeting by causing an attested copy of the warrant calling the same to be posted in one (1) or more public places in each precinct of the Town, and either causing such attested copy to be published in a local newspaper or providing in a manner such as electronic submission, holding for pickup, or mailing, an attested copy of said warrant to each Town Meeting Member. 2.1.7 Closina of the Warrant All Articles for the Annual Town Meeting shall be submitted to the Board of Selectmen not. later than 8:00 PM on the fifth (5') Tuesday preceding the date of election of Town officers, unless this day is a holiday in which case the following day shall be substituted. All articles for the Subsequent Town Meeting shall be submitted to the Board of Selectmen not later than 8:00 PM on the seventh (7th) Tuesday preceding the Subsequent Town Meeting in which action is to be taken, unless this day is a holiday in which case the following day shall be substituted. 2.1.8 Delivery of the Warrant The Board of Selectmen, after drawing a Warrant for a Town Meeting, shall immediately deliver a copy of such Warrant to each member of the Finance Committee, the Community Planning and Development Commission, the Bylaw Committee and the Moderator. 2.2 Conduct of. Town Meetina 2.2.1 In the conduct of all Town Meetings, the following rules shall be observed Rule 1 A majority of Town Meeting Members shall constitute a quorum for doing business. Rule 2 All articles on the warrant shall be taken up in the order of their arrangement in the warrant unless otherwise decided by a majority vote of the members present and voting. Rule 3 Prior to debate on each article in a warrant involving the expenditure of money, the Finance Committee shall advise Town Meeting as to its recommendations and the reasons therefore. Rule 4 Prior to a debate on each article in a warrant involving changes in the bylaw or Charter, petitions for a special act, or local acceptance by Town Meeting of a State statute, the Bylaw Committee shall advise Town Meeting as to its recommendations and reasons therefore. Rule 5 Every person shall stand when speaking as they are able, shall respectfully address the Moderator, shall not speak until recognized by the Moderator, shall state his name and precinct, shall confine himself to the question under debate and shall avoid all personalities. Rule 6 No person shall be privileged to speak or make a motion until after he has been recognized by the Moderator. Rule 7 No Town Meeting Member or other person shall speak on any question more than ten (10) minutes without first obtaining the permission of the meeting. Rule 8 Any non -Town Meeting Member may speak at a Town Meeting having first identified himself to the Moderator. A proponent of an article may speak on such article only after first identifying himself to the Moderator and obtaining permission of Town Meeting to speak. No non -Town Meeting Member shall speak on any question more than five (5) minutes without first obtaining the permission of the Meeting. Non -Town Meeting Members shall be given the privilege of speaking at Town Meeting only after all Town Meeting Members who desire to speak upon the question under consideration have first been given an opportunity to do so. Rule 9 Members of official bodies and Town officials who are not Town Meeting Members shall have the same right to speak, but not to vote, as Town Meeting Members on all matters relating to their official bodies. Rule 10 No speaker at a Town Meeting shall be interrupted except by a Member making a point of order or privileged motion or by the Moderator. Rule 11 Any person having a monetary or equitable interest in any matter under discussion at a Town Meeting, and any person employed by another having such an interest, shall disclose the fad of his interest or his employer's interest before speaking thereon. Rule 12 The Moderator shall decide all questions of order subject to appeal to the meeting, the question on which appeal shall be taken before any other. Rule 13 When a question is put, the vote on all matters shall be taken by a show of hands, and the Moderator shall declare the vote as it appears to him. If the Moderator is unable to decide the vote by the show of hands, or if his decision is immediately questioned by seven (7) or. more Members, or if the Moderator determines that a counted vote is required such as for a debt issue or Home Rule Petition, he shall determine the question by ordering a standing vote, and he shall appoint tellers to make and return the count directly to him. On request of not less than twenty (20) members, a vote shall be taken by roll call. Rule 14 All original main motions having to do with the expenditure of money shall be presented in writing, and all other motions shall be in writing if so directed by the Moderator- Rule oderatorRule 15 No motion shall be received and put until it is seconded. No motion made and seconded shall be withdrawn if any Member objects. No amendment not relevant to the subject of the original motion shall be entertained. Rule 16 When a question is under debate, no motion shall be in order except: • to adjourn, • to lay on the table or pass over, • to postpone for a certain time, • to commit, • to amend, • to postpone indefinitely, or • to fix a time for terminating debate and putting the question, and the aforesaid several motions shall have precedence in the order in which they stand arranged in this rule. Rule 17 Motions to adjourn (except when balloting for offices and when votes are being taken) shall always be first in order. Motions to adjourn, to move the question, to lay on the table and to take from the table shall be decided without debate. - Rule 18 The previous question shall be put in the following form or in some other form having the same meaning: "Shall the main. question now be put' and until this question is decided all debate on the main question shall be suspended. If the previous question is adopted, the sense of the meeting shall immediately be taken upon any pending amendments in the order inverse to that in which they were moved, except that the largest sum or the longest time shall be put first and finally upon the main question. Rule 19 The duties of the Moderator and the conduct and method of proceeding. at all Town Meetings, not prescribed by law or by rules set forth in this article, shall be determined by rules of practice set forth in "Town Meeting Time Third Edition" except that to lay on the table shall require a majority vote. 2.2.2 Attendance by Officials It shall be the duty of every official body, by a member thereof, to be in attendance at all Town Meetings for the information thereof while any subject matter is under consideration affecting such official body. 2.2.3 ADDointment of Committees All committees authorized by Town Meeting shall be appointed by the Moderator unless otherwise ordered by a vote of the Members present and voting. All committees shall report as directed by Town Meeting. If no report is made within a year after the appointment, the committee shall be discharged unless, in the meantime, Town Meeting grants an extension of time. When the final report of a committee is placed in the hands of the Moderator, it shall be deemed to be received, and a vote to accept the same shall discharge the committee but shall not be equivalent to a vote to adopt it. 2.2.4 Motion to Reconsider 10 2.2.4.1 Notice to Reconsider A motion to reconsider any vote must be made before the final adjournment of the meeting at which the vote was passed but such motion to reconsider shall not be made at an adjourned meeting unless the mover has given notice of his intention to make such a motion, either at the session of the meeting at which the vote was passed or by written notice to the Town Clerk within twenty-four (24) hours after the adjournment of such session. When such motion is made at the session of the meeting at which the vote was passed, said motion shall be accepted by the Moderator but consideration thereof shall be postponed to become the first item to be considered at the next session, unless all remaining articles have been disposed of, in which case reconsideration shall be considered before final adjournment. There can be no reconsideration of a vote once reconsidered or after a vote not to reconsider. Reconsideration may be ordered by a vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the members present. Arguments for or against reconsideration may include discussion of the motion being reconsidered providing such discussion consists only of relevant facts or arguments not previously presented by any speaker. 2.2.4.2 Federal or State Law Affecting Reconsideration The foregoing provisions relating to motions to reconsider shall not apply to any such motion made by the Board of Selectmen and authorized by the Moderator as necessary for the reconsideration of actions previously taken by Town Meeting by reason of State or Federal action or inaction or other circumstances not within the control of the Town or Town Meeting. In the event such a motion to reconsider is made and authorized, said motion may be made at any time before the final adjournment of the meeting at which the vote was passed, said motion may be made even if the vote was already reconsidered or was the subject of a vote not to reconsider, and reconsideration may be ordered by a vote of two- thirds (2/3) of the Members present. 2.2.4.3 Posting and Advertising Notice of every vote to be reconsidered at an adjourned Town Meeting shall be posted by the Town Clerk in one (1) or more public places in each precinct of the Town as soon as possible after adjournment, and he shall, if practicable, at least one day before the time of the next following session of said adjourned meeting, publish such notice in some newspaper published in the Town. Said notice shall include the vote to be reconsidered and the place and time of the next following session of said adjourned meeting. The foregoing notice provisions shall not apply when a motion to reconsider any Town Meeting action is made publicly at Town Meeting before the adjournment of any session of any adjourned Town Meeting. 2.2.6 State of the Town The Selectmen shall, at each Annual Town Meeting, give to the Members information on the "State of the Town.' 2.2.6 Annual Precinct Meetino Town Meeting Members and Town Meeting Members -elect from each precinct shall hold an annual precinct meeting after the annual Town election but before the convening of the business sessions of the Annual Town Meeting. The purpose of the meeting shall be the election of a Chairman and a Clerk and to conduct whatever business may be appropriate. Chainmen shall serve no more. than six (6) consecutive years in that 11 position. Additional precinct meetings may be called by the Chairman or by a petition of six (6) Town Meeting Members of the precinct. 2.2.7 Removal of Town Meeting Members 2.2.7.1 Notice of Attendance The Town Clerk shall mail, within thirty (30) days after the adjournment sine die of the Annual Town Meeting, to every Town Meeting Member who has attended less than one-half of Town Meeting sessions since the most recent Annual Town Election, a record of his attendance and a copy of Section 2-6 of the Charter. 2.2.7.2 Precinct Recommendation All Precinct meeting held prior to consideration by Town Meeting of the warrant article pursuant to Section 2-6 of the Charter. Town Meeting Members of each precinct shall adopt a recommendation to Town Meeting on whether each member from the precinct listed in the warrant per Section 2-6 of the Charter should be removed from Town Meeting. The Chairman of each precinct or his designee shall make such recommendations along with supporting evidence and rationale to Town Meeting. 2.2.7.3 Grouped by Precinct The names of the Members subject to removal in accordance with Section 2-6 of the Charter shall be grouped by precinct in the warrant article required by said section. 2.2.8 Meetings During Town Meeting No appointed or elected board, committee, commission or other entity of Town government shall schedule or conduct any hearing, meeting or other function during any hours in which an Annual, Subsequent or Special Town Meeting is in session or is scheduled tol)P—in session. Any such board, committee or commission which schedules or holds a meeting or hearing on the same calendar day, but at a time prior to a session of Town Meeting, shall,adjoum or recess not less than five (5) minutes prior to the scheduled session of Town Meeting. Any board, committee or commission may, at the opening of any session of Town Meeting, present to that Town Meeting an instructional motion requesting an exemption from this bylaw and asking that Town Meeting permit it to meet at a date and hour at which a future session of Town Meeting is scheduled, and may present reasons for Town Meeting to give such permission. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any board, committee or commission which meets the requirements of M.G.L. Chapter 39, Section 23B concerning emergency meetings may, upon meeting such requirements, conduct such a meeting or hearing at a time scheduled for a Town Meeting. 2.2.9 Rules Committee The members of the Rules Committee, established under Section 2-12 of the Charter, shall hold an annual meeting within thirty (30) days after the adjournment of the Annual Town Meeting for the purpose of electing a Chairman and a Clerk and to conduct whatever business may be appropriate. Additional Rules Committee meetings may be called by the Chairman. In the absence of -a Chairman, the Moderator shall convene a meeting of the Rules Committee within sixty (60) days after a vacancy for the purpose of electing a new Chairman. 12 MCOPYDrrrpP O� OFRFrhi s�9' FAX: (781) 942-9070 Website: www.readingma.gov Town of Reading 16 Lowell Street Reading, MA 01867-2685 Town Meeting Handout Guidelines TOWN CLERK (781)942-9050 To ensure that all Town Meeting members have access to the same information, distributed in the same manner, please follow the below listed guidelines for handout materials: Materials that are prepared by a Town Board / Committee / Town Department must include the following: o Article name and number o Name of Town Board / Committee / Commission or Town Department o Date the document was created o Contact Information o Approval of Town Clerk's Office Materials that are prepared by petitioners or other voters must include the following: o Article name and number o Contact information of person who created handout o Datethe document was created o Approval of Town Clerk's Office All handouts: • Must contain facts only unless specifically stating "This is the opinion of _ • Should be on white paper only • Should be double -sided copies if more than one page • May be distributed only by giving adequate copies for all Town Meeting members (192) to the Town Clerk or designee by 6:30 PM on the night in which the subject article will be discussed • All handouts not approved will be removed and recycled • All handouts not distributed must be picked up at the end of each night or they will be recycled at the end of each night. All PowerPoint Presentations: • Must consult with the Town Clerk before the meeting • Provide a copy before the meeting • Al presentations will be given using the Town of Reading laptop computer February of 2010 13