Swampscott’s Markarian reflects on meeting

SWAMPSCOTT – He doesn’t own a pair of white bucks or a bow tie like the former town moderator but newly minted Town Moderator Joe Markarian said Town Meeting went reasonably well.”I didn’t even own a suit,” he said. “I had to go out and buy a suit before Town Meeting.”Markarian admits he was a little nervous taking the helm of Town Meeting for the first time Monday night.”I was gratified no one came up and said he’s the worst moderator ever,” he said. “I appreciate the courtesy Town Meeting members showed to me. It’s always tough to get a read on protocol and how solemn a meeting should be. I think it’s OK to lighten it up a little and have a laugh or two.”Markarian kept a copy of “Town Meeting Time” on the podium in front of him but didn’t refer to it during Monday’s meeting.”I read through it quite a bit prior to Town Meeting,” he said. “I tried to anticipate what motions would come up during the course of Town Meeting. There was quite a lot of preparation and rightfully so. Overall it was a pretty straight-forward process. To my benefit it was a short warrant and there was not anything on it that was very controversial.”Markarian admitted he was surprised at the number of requests to give reports or make announcements that came in less than 24 hours before the start of Town Meeting.Markarian said he made a couple of rookie mistakes and he received helpful feedback from former Moderator Martin Goldman.After he had a few days to reflect on his first stint as moderator, Markarian said acoustics on the stage, where the moderator presides over the meeting, is something that needs to be addressed.”(From the stage) it was very difficult to hear people in the auditorium speak,” he said. “The stage is obviously designed to project the sound out to the audience. I wonder if people thought I was stupid because a couple of times I didn’t react when something was said because I couldn’t hear.”Markarian said he would probably run for moderator again next year.”Overall it was a positive experience,” he said. “I expect if I run and am elected again next year I will be more confident.”As town moderator, Markarian is getting down to work filling vacancies on town committees. He is looking for people to fill vacancies on the Capital Improvement Committee and Finance Committee. Anyone interested in serving on either committee should contact Markarian by e-mail at [email protected]”I hope to make the appointments within a couple of months,” Markarian said.