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12-16-2023 10:59pm
Westwood Select Board to Vote on Quorum Reduction for Jan 17th Special Town Meeting (Updated 12/21/23)
Darlene Cancell
Editor
Editor's note (12/21/2023): The Select Board discussion on whether to reduce the quorum requirement has been rescheduled to January 8, 2024, according to information provided by Town Counsel Pat Ahearn at Select Board's December 20th meeting.
Editor's note (12/19/2023): The December 18th Select Board meeting that included the agenda item, "2024 Special Town Meeting (January 17, 2024) - Quorum Reduction Discussion and Vote," was cancelled due to inclement weather affecting participation. The Select Board meeting is rescheduled to Wednesday, December 20th at 6:00 p.m., but omits specific mention of a "quorum reduction" agenda item. See Select Board's December 20th agenda, as received by the Town Clerk on December 18, 2023 at 4:27 p.m. However, there remains on the agenda the item, "2024 Special Town Meeting (January 17 2024) - Vote to Sign and Post the Warrant." The log-in and passcode information for the rescheduled meeting remain the same.
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This Monday, December 18th, Westwood Select Board is scheduled to vote on whether to reduce the quorum requirement for attendance at the Special Town Meeting of January 17, 2024, where articles will be put forward for voters' consideration, including allocating funding for construction of Fire Station 1. Select Board will vote on the quorum reduction following a discussion which is open to remote public participation via Zoom.
At Select Board's December 4th meeting, Town Moderator James O'Sullivan informed the board of his belief that there might be difficulty in achieving the quorum requirement of 175 people for the Special Town Meeting, and that he would like flexibility of reducing the quorum.
In a similar discussion to reduce the quorum earlier this year for the May 2023 Town Meeting, Town Clerk Dottie Powers recalled that there were over 220 voters at the 2022 Town Meeting and 200 voters at the meeting prior to that one, where quorum reductions were implemented. At the May 2023 Town Meeting, additional residents may have joined the meeting late; however, at least 151 people were in attendance near the start of the meeting, based on statements made by Ms. Powers at the time.
Select Board Chair Marianne LeBlanc Cummings summed the reasoning behind a reduced quorum, noting that the reduction represents a floor for required resident participation in town business, and does not constitute a ceiling. “We want as many folks as can to participate. At the same time, we want to make sure that we get the important work of the town done," she said.
Residents who wish to give input or attend Select Board's discussion and vote on reducing the quorum can attend the 6:00 p.m. meeting on Monday, December 18th remotely via Zoom, using the following information:
Webinar ID: 819 3585 9280
Passcode: 480172
For additional ways to join by phone, or to review other items on Select Board's December 18th agenda, click here.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Baker in May 2020 declared a state of emergency and allowed select boards, in consultation with town moderators, to prescribe a lower number to constitute a quorum. However, that number must be 10 percent or more of the required quorum.
Although Governor Baker lifted his emergency declaration a year later, Governor Maura Healey has allowed some emergency procedures to continue, such as those related to remote town meetings.
Updated 12/21/2023 at 11:30 p.m.
