Nahant to vote on Meeting change

NAHANT – Nahant Town Meeting has been operating using Roberts Rules of Order for decades, but that could change due to an article on the warrant asking members to amend Article II, Sec. 18 of the town bylaws.If passed, the article would allow Town Meeting to be governed according to “Town Meeting Time” instead of Roberts Rules of Order.Town Moderator David Conlin wouldn’t weigh in on the article, but he did explain some of the differences between “Town Meeting Time” and Roberts Rules of Order.Conlin explained Roberts Rules of Order has been revised so many times that the copy used when the town’s bylaws were written is obsolete.Conlin said “Town Meeting Time” was put out by the Massachusetts Moderator’s Association and is a study of parliamentary procedures dealing primarily with Massachusetts’ town meetings. `Last year, voters at Town Meeting approved a warrant article that established a committee to study the bylaws governing how Town Meeting is conducted.Selectman Michael Manning, who is one of three people on the study committee, said the committee expects to have its report ready for the annual Town Meeting on April 26.”Each of the committee members is looking over the material we have and we will be meeting shortly,” he said. “The moderator has quoted Town Meeting Time in previous Town Meetings so I don’t think there will be any surprises. It’s like deciding what dictionary to choose.”The other committee members include Finance Committee appointee Bernie Yadoff and Paula Devereaux, who was appointed by Conlin.