Looking back at Templeton annual town meeting attendance:
STM of February 19, 2004 - 880 voters.
ATM May 10, 11, 17, 2005 - 211, 145, 208 voters.
ATM May 9, 10, 16, 2006 - 176, 151, 99 voters.
ATM May 15, 16, 2007 - 141, 120 voters.
ATM May 13, 14, 2008 - 141, 120 voters.
ATM May 11, 12, 17, 2010 - 158, 155, 118 voters.
ATM May 10, 11, 2011 - 313, 235 voters.
ATM May 15, 16, 21, 23, 2012 - 291, 238, 228, 159.
ATM May 16, 2015 - 117 voters.
ATM May 14, 2016 - 65 voters.
ATM May 13, 2017 - 216 voters.
ATM May 19, 2018 - 146 voters.
ATM May 15, 16, 2019 - 199, 83 voters.
ATM June 17, 2020 - 61 voters.
Do we need a quorum?? Would it work? What is the cost of holding a meeting and if a quorum is required but is not met? A second meeting is called, money spent and still a quorum is not met, how many times is the meeting to be called to try and meet a quorum? Perhaps the answer to getting people to town meeting is to go backwards a bit; ensure the annual town report is distributed/ available to people weeks before town meeting, ensure the Warrant is available to the people weeks before town meeting and the warrant is available at town meeting. Ensure that the warrant articles and motions are read and that is where town meeting comes in, people need to speak upon that issue and others. Templeton by-laws state town meeting times is our guide for town meeting and in it's pages, it states if the articles are not read in their entirety, the warrant should be printed and in the hands of or available to, every voter. Notice it does not state voters guide.
But, but, but, without the voters guide we wouldn't have the "Summaries" that are not legally binding and are just sales tools of the administration.
ReplyDeleteWARRANTS need to be read!
The people of Templeton have gotten the "bums rush" by town employees, and that is unacceptable. There is absolutely no reason for not reading the articles in the Town Meeting warrant. How can anyone vote for something they cannot understand ? There is not enough time to read the articles during the meeting because the Moderator moves the meeting along at such a fast pace. My feeling is if our elected officials cannot treat the residents of this Town better, or feel they cannot spend time with these people twice a year, maybe they should resign. As my husband said, "I will not vote for something I do not understand," and I do not think he is alone.
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