Town of Wareham
Board of Selectmen
54 Marion Road
Wareham, MA 02571
#07-02
Replaces Policy #88-12
POLICY STATEMENT
BOARD OF SELECTMEN RULES OF PROCEDURE
Section 1. Election of Chairman
At the first meeting after the Spring Annual Town Meeting there shall be elected from the body a Chairman and a Clerk, who shall serve for a period of one (1) year. In the event that a sitting Chairman is not in office after the Town Election (held on the first Tuesday in April), then the election / reorganization of the Board shall occur at the next Selectmen’s Meeting following the election.
Section 2. Temporary Chairman
In case of the absence of the Chairman of the Board of Selectmen, the Clerk shall call the meeting to order at the appointed time and place and proceed with the business of the meeting.
Section 3. Presiding Officer Leaving Chair
The presiding officer at a meeting may call any other member to take his place in the chair, but the substitution shall not extend beyond adjournment.
Section 4. Division of Question
A question under consideration that covers two (2) or more points shall be divided appropriately if requested by any member.
Section 5. Town Administrator
The Town Administrator shall attend all meetings of the Board of Selectmen. He shall be excused, upon his own request, but shall provide the Board an appropriate designee. He shall offer a report at the meetings in which he shall keep the Board fully advised as to the financial conditions and the needs of the Town, as well as make recommendations to the Board. He may take part in discussions, but shall have no vote in decisions of the Board of Selectmen. He shall also execute any other duties or obligations outlined in the appropriate sections of the Charter.
Section 6. Meetings
- Regular meetings. The Board shall hold regular meetings at least two times per month in the Board of Selectmen’s meeting room on Tuesdays at 7:00pm. The Board of Selectmen may, by a majority vote, change the day, the hour and/or the place of holding any regular meeting.
- Special meetings. Special meetings of the Board of Selectmen may be called by either the Chairman or one-third (1/3) of the board (two members).
- Regular and Special meetings. There shall be a time limit of 10:00pm, with the stipulation that should it be necessary to continue a meeting past 10:00pm, a majority vote of the Board members present will be required.
Section 7. Notice of Special meetings
Special Meetings of the Board of Selectmen shall be held on the call of the Chairman or by one-third (1/3) of the members of the Board by written notice delivered in hand, or to the place of business or residence or via e-mail (with return receipt acknowledgement) at least forty-eight (48) hours before the time of the start of the special meeting. The notice shall contain the subjects to be acted upon and no other business shall be in order. A copy of the notice shall also be sent to the Town Clerk within adequate time for posting in accordance with the Open Meeting Law.
Section 8. Hearings and/or public meetings
Time allotted to each speaker who wishes to express his views on a matter may be limited by the Chairman to five minutes. Unless the Chairman of the Board of Selectmen gives permission, no speaker shall be heard more than once on a matter, unless all others have had an opportunity to speak, and their subsequent views are not repeating previous comments.
Section 9. Selectmen’s Reports
- Each Selectman will be allowed to report or comment on any subject up to a total of five (5) minutes.
- In the event of a challenge or a charge by a Selectman, a rebuttal time of up to five (5) minutes will be allowed.
- There will be no debate on subject matter presented, however, other Selectmen may ask questions for clarification or request further information to be provided at a future meeting.
- No votes shall be taken during the Selectmen’s Report portion of the agenda, but informal consensus can be given in order to give direction or directive to the Selectman.
Section 10. Authority of Selectmen
No selectman shall arrange private meetings with department heads or local interested parties for any reason without the knowledge and permission of the Board. No Board member has authority to speak on behalf of the Board or to discuss or decide anything that commits the Board without the permission of the Board. No selectman shall use his position or title to initiate a personal agenda or institute policy.
Section 11. Applications
Applications that would require action by the Selectmen at their meetings should be submitted thirty (30) days in advance of the effective date of the applicant’s requests.
Section 12. Suspension of rules; reconsideration
- In order to move suspension of the rules, a super majority vote (2/3) of those present is required.
- Reconsideration. In order to move same, this motion can only be made no later than the next regular or special meeting of the Board. Reconsideration can only be moved by someone who voted in the majority or was not present at the time the original motion was made and carried. After the next regular or special meeting, the decision of the vote is considered “established.”
- To overturn a decision that has already been established, someone who voted in the majority or was not present at the time the original motion was made and carried must make the motion, and, it must carry by a super-majority (2/3).
Section 13. Parliamentary rules
Any parliamentary rules not specified, Robert’s Rules of Order is to be used as the Board’s guide, a copy of which is to be on file at the town library, published, in full, in a local newspaper and placed on files in the office of the Town Clerk or the latter of the two, in accordance with the Town Charter.
Section 14. Amendments to rules
Amendments of any of the foregoing rules may be made by a vote of a super-majority (2/3) of the full Board of Selectmen.
- In order to move suspension of the rules, a majority vote of those present is required.
- Reconsideration. In order to move same, this motion can only be made no later than the next regular or special meeting of the Board. Reconsideration can only be moved by someone who voted in the majority or was not present at the time the original motion was made and carried. After the next regular or special meeting, the decision of the vote is considered “established.”
- To overturn a decision that has already been established, someone who voted in the majority or was not present at the time the original motion was made and carried must make the motion, and, it must carry by a super-majority (2/3).
Section 13. Parliamentary rules
Any parliamentary rules not specified, Robert’s Rules of Order is to be used as the Board’s guide, a copy of which is to be on file at the town library, published, in full, in a local newspaper and placed on files in the office of the Town Clerk or the latter of the two, in accordance with the Town Charter.
Section 14. Amendments to rules
Amendments of any of the foregoing rules may be made by a vote of a super-majority (2/3) of the full Board of Selectmen.
This policy shall take effect immediately.
Date adopted: April 10, 2007
WAREHAM BOARD OF SELECTMEN/SEWER COMMISSIONERS
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
| 
