In Plymouth, thinking ahead to Spring Town Meeting, Town Moderator Steven Triffletti takes a look back at the recent Fall Town Meeting of October 15th—a meeting that for the only time in recent memory, lacked a quorum by mid-afternoon.
WATD’s Bobbi Clark has more:
Fall Town Meeting was the first one in two years to be held in person; Moderator Triffletti says it began promptly…
“…at 8 a.m. and adjourned and dissolved a little after 5 p.m. in the evening. Town Meeting acted on all 22 articles that were on the warrant. Shortly after 4 p.m. in the afternoon Town Meeting did have a question of the quorum. There was not a quorum.”
So Town Meeting recessed for 30 minutes…
“…and when Town Meeting resumed there was a quorum enabling Town Meeting members to complete all the business.”
Isn’t it standard practice, in the afternoon session, to give Town Meeting the choice to adjourn or extend the meeting?
“It is customary and usual for the Chair of the Advisory and Finance Committee to make a motion to adjourn at approximately 3 o’clock in the afternoon.”
But, Triffletti says…
“…there was no available date for two weeks. Consequently, there was an effort to continue Town Meeting—also there was an additional significant expense to have Town Meeting resume on another date.”
So, lessons learned, what’s the plan for Spring Town Meeting?
“We will certainly make an effort with all of those who are involved in the planning, to try to schedule the adjourned session as soon as possible after the initial session on the 1st Saturday in April. In addition, we will continue to present a motion to adjourn, approximately two hours after the completion of the lunch recess. Ultimately, it’s up to Town Meeting Members whether to move to adjourn or whether or not to continue to promote debate.”
