From Templeton Selectmen Policies and Procedures;

The Chairman of the Board shall:
1. Preside at all meetings of the Board. In doing so, he/she shall maintain order in the meeting room, recognize speakers, call for votes and preside over the discussion of agenda items.
2. Sign official documents that require the signature of the Chairman. A vote may be taken for the Chairman to sign when needed.
3. Call special meetings in accordance with the Open Meeting Law.
4. Prepare agenda with the Town Administrator.
5. Arrange orientation for new members.
6. Represent the Board at meetings, conferences and other gatherings unless otherwise determined by the Board or delegated by the Chairman.

The Chairman shall have the same rights as other members to discuss questions and to vote thereon. In the Absence of other offerings he/she may introduce motions, seconds to motions and resolutions.

AGENDA PROCEDURES: The responsibility for coordinating and planning the meeting agenda is that of the Town Administrator. Each of the Board members and the Town Administrator may place items on the agenda. The Town Administrator, in consultation with the Chairman, will schedule a realistic time period for each appointment, interview, conference or other schedule of business. All items for the agenda will be submitted to the Town Administrator by Wednesday preceding the next scheduled meeting to allow time to arrange, produce and post the agenda while giving all Board members time to prepare for the meeting. Items of emergency or strictly routine that develop after closing the agenda may be considered under “topics not anticipated by the Chairman 48 hours in advance” Agenda items normally include:
1. Reading of the Agenda
2. Public Comment
3. Town Administrator Report
4. Scheduled Business
5. Topics not Reasonably Anticipated by the Chairman 48 Hours in Advance
6. Selectman Reports/Future Agenda Items
7. Adjournment

Members of the Board, staff, Town Administrator or others who prepare background material for the meeting should make an effort to have such material available for the Tuesday afternoon preceding the meeting. If background information is not provided or is insufficient or complicated or if complex memos or motions are presented at the meeting which were not in the Board’s meeting packet, any member should feel free to request the tabling of the item to allow careful study of the material presented or the motion proposed. The agenda will be available to the public and the press at the Selectmen’s Office 48 hours in advance of the meeting date, as per the Open Meeting Law, and will be posted on the Town website before the meeting.

At one selectmen meeting, a question was asked about the agenda and a meeting topic, Administrative assistant Holly Young stated "I just changed it" and this was during the meeting and after the item in question had already been part of the discussion.



posted by Jeff Bennett