Who Knows Anything About the Committee on Rules?
Mary Ellen's email last night about the Committee on Government Regulations brought the Committee on Rules to mind. According to the Town web site, "[e]ight members are elected by the Town Meeting members of each precinct for 3-year terms. A standing committee of the Town Meeting, this committee provides continuing oversight of the business, conduct, and procedures of the Town Meeting, proposing changes as it is deems necessary."
- The web site has not been updated for several years--the members listed have terms that expire in 2022 and 2023;
- I am listed as a member. I have never been a member and have tried several times to get my name off the web site, without success. (And I have never received any communications about my "membership."
- The legitimate Precinct 4 representative who we elected is not listed as a member.
I have found the past few Town Meeting sessions disappointing. Would it be improved if there were a functioning Committee on Rules?
Comments
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I have also been thinking about the Committee on Rules. I would like to see them revisit the role of Roberts Rules in our Town Meeting. Having a hybrid of RR and a rules bylaw is no longer working. I would like to see the parts of RR we like pulled into our bylaw (if they are not already there) and then the reference to RR eliminated so that we are just working off our bylaw. And if our bylaw needs to be simplified so that all Town Meeting members understand the rules, that would be wonderful.
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I have to admit that I often time confuse the similarly sounding Committee on Government Regulations and the Committee on Rules. It is the former that is charged in the by-laws with the decennial review of the by-laws, which the Town Clerk and Town Manager have communicated to Town Meeting via email and letter. The latter is charged with the continued oversight of the business, conduct, and procedures of the Town Meeting.
4.3 COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS
11 Art 5 Spring Town Meeting 2012
4.3.1 Establishment - There shall be a committee on government regulations, as provided in Article 8, Section 8-5(h) of the charter.
4.3.2 Composition; Term of Office - The committee on government regulations shall consist of eight town meeting members, one to be appointed from each precinct by the moderator for terms of three years, so arranged that as nearly an equal number of terms as possible shall expire each year.
4.3.3 Duties - The committee on government regulations shall review all warrant articles which would, if adopted, effect or require changes in these by-laws. The committee shall also be responsible for the decennial review of the by-laws and for the review of proposed changes in the charter. 11 Art 5 Spring Town Meeting 2012 Code of Bylaws Chapter 2 9 The committee shall prepare a written report stating the committee’s recommendations for favorable or unfavorable action and the reasons therefor, pertaining to any warrant articles which would, if adopted, effect changes in the by-laws or the charter. Copies of such committee reports shall be mailed or electronically distributed to the town moderator, to each town meeting member, to each member of the board of selectmen, to each member of the school committee and to the heads of all town departments. Written authorization must be provided to the Town Clerk in order to receive electronic distribution of materials.
4.3.4 Filling of Vacancies - Whenever a vacancy occurs on the committee, the moderator shall fill the vacancy for the unexpired term.
4.4 COMMITTEE ON RULES
(Art 5 Spring Town Meeting 2012)
4.4.1 Establishment - There shall be a committee on rules as provided in Article 8, Section 8- 5(h) of the charter.
4.4.2 Composition; Term of Office - The committee on rules shall consist of eight members, one to be elected by and from the town meeting members from each precinct. The terms of office of members of the committee on rules shall be for three years, so arranged that as nearly an equal number of terms as possible shall expire each year.
4.4.3 Duties - The committee on rules shall provide a continuing oversight of the business, conduct and procedures of the town meeting. The committee on rules shall at least annually prepare a written report stating the committee’s recommendations and its reasons therefor, pertaining to the business, conduct and procedures of the town meeting. Copies of such committee reports shall be mailed or electronically distributed to the town moderator, to each town meeting member, to each member of the board of selectmen, to each member of the school committee and to the heads of all town departments. Written authorization must be provided to the Town Clerk in order to receive electronic distribution of materials. The committee on rules shall present to the fall town meeting, and to such other town meetings as it deems appropriate, the name of each town meeting member, who was notified in writing by the town clerk as provided in Chapter 5, Section 3 of the code of by-laws and whom the committee on rules has decided should be considered for forfeiture of office, whose seat may be declared vacant by a vote of the town meeting. 12 Art 5 Spring Town Meeting 2012 Code of Bylaws Chapter 2 10 The town clerk shall provide to the committee on rules prior to each spring town meeting the names of all town meeting committees which have been established by a vote of town meeting as provided in Chapter 2, Section 5 of these by-laws. The committee on rules shall present to the town meeting the name of each town meeting committee that should be discharged of its duties by vote of the town meeting.13
4.4.4 Filling of Vacancies - Whenever a vacancy occurs on the committee, the remaining town meeting members from the precinct where the vacancy exists shall meet in a precinct caucus and select a person from among themselves to fill the vacancy for the unexpired term. The caucus of the pertinent precinct town meeting members shall be held at a time and place designated by the town clerk.