Local news- Press Release
Town of Arlington Massachusetts - [TMM] Letter on residency requirements reconsideration and 48 hour rule 21 May 2022 ( news )
Town of Arlington , state Massachusetts ( By Press Release office)
May 21,2022
| 64| 2
Greetings Town Meeting Members ,
I ' m writing to give an update on three matters: ( 1 ) the residency questions surrounding the proponent of Article 17; ( 2 ) notices of reconsideration in general and specifically in regard to Article 62 ( appropriations from the Community Preservation Fund ) ; and ( 3 ) a reminder about the 48 - hour rule regarding subsidiary motions .
Questions arose near the end of Wednesday night ' s meeting about whether the proponent of Article 17 ( self service gas - station pumps ) is a resident of Arlington . I apologize for contributing to the confusion at the meeting by wrongly assuming that the proponent ' s residency in Arlington had been established by the Town Clerk . After the meeting , I consulted with the Town Clerk and Town Counsel who collectively explained that the article ' s coordinating petitioner listed an Arlington business address on the petition , and the petition has a sufficient number of verified signatures of registered voters residing in Arlington . In response to the residency questions raised at Wednesday night ' s meeting , there is no legal or technical requirement for the coordinating petitioner to be an Arlington resident . Therefore the approval of the petition for inclusion in the warrant appears to be in order .
Also at Wednesday night ' s meeting , multiple notices of reconsideration were given for Article 62 ( appropriations from the Community Preservation Fund ) , in addition to notices of reconsideration given for other articles previously: Articles 8 , 16 , and several financial articles . First , please note the distinction between giving notice of reconsideration , which can be done only by someone voting on the prevailing side of a vote before adjourning the meeting at which the initial vote was taken , and moving to reconsider , which can be done only by someone who previously gave notice of reconsideration , in order to give further reflection , renewed attention , and more careful deliberation to a previously considered action ( Town Meeting Time , Chapter 5 §31 ) . Note that while Town Meeting Time cites a majority vote for motions to reconsider , our Town Bylaws take precedence , requiring a two - thirds vote for reconsideration , and disallowing repeated reconsideration of the same vote ( Title I Article 1 Section 10 item E ) . Given the limited time in which we can deliberate articles , and the constraint that Annual Town Meeting cannot be dissolved until all articles are disposed of , I will entertain motions to reconsider only after we have disposed of all 77 articles in the warrant . This will help ensure that every article in the warrant has time to be heard , while allowing for a small number of articles to be reconsidered if time permits . I ask that those seeking to move reconsideration consult with me in advance .
Lastly , I want to remind everyone about the 48 - hour rule for submitting subsidiary motions ( typically motions to amend and motions to substitute ) . In order to provide your fellow Town Meeting Members with ample time and opportunity to fully prepare for each Article , substitute motions and substantial amendments to motions must be submitted electronically to me at
GChristiana@town . arlington . ma . us
, the Town Clerk at
JBrazile@town . arlington . ma . us
, and Town Counsel at
DHeim@town . arlington . ma . us
at least 48 hours in advance of the commencement of the session in which the Article is expected to be considered and debated — please include all three recipients on the same email; if email is not an option , please call me at 781 - 819 - 2781 to make alternative arrangements . I may allow exceptions to this advance filing requirement in cases of motions that are short , clear , concise and easy to understand , but such exceptions are within my exclusive discretion as Moderator .
Sincerely ,
Greg Christiana
Town Moderator
gchristiana@town . arlington . ma . us
PLAY the NEWS
* May be useful for visually impaired persons .
Press release information :
Direct link to press release:
Click here .
