Overview of Article 11 on October Town Meeting Warrant

As the Governance Committee reviewed the Holliston General By-Laws, it became clear that many years have passed without any structured review of the By-Laws and that some By-Laws of official positions, Boards or Committees have limited descriptions of their respective key duties based on state law.  Article 11 is a start at addressing both issues by proposing more descriptive By-Laws for the Town Moderator, the Planning Board, and Scenic Roads.  Article 11 also establishes a By-Law Review Committee to be appointed every five years to keep the General By-Laws current with the needs of the Town.

Article 11 consists of four Amendments, three of which expand the description of the duties in the By-Laws of the Planning Board, Scenic Roads and the Town Moderator.   The new By-Laws simply provide a broader description of key responsibilities based on what is already provided in state law.  No supplemental or additional duties are added. The revised By-Laws make the role of the Town Moderator, Planning Board and Scenic Roads By-Laws more transparent for residents who would have a better understanding about their respective primary responsibilities.  The Article 11 recommended By-Laws for the Planning Board and Scenic Roads have been endorsed by the Planning Board and the Town Moderator recommended By-Law has been endorsed by the current Moderator.

The fourth Amendment creates a By-Law Review Committee with five members appointed by the Select Board, Town Moderator and Planning Board. In addition to reviewing Holliston’s General By-Laws to keep them current, the Committee would also offer recommendations for any articles in the warrant of any Town Meeting which propose an amendment or addition to the General By-Laws. The Planning Board exercises a similar role regarding the Zoning By-Laws.

For residents to better understand the difference of the current By-Laws for the Planning Board, Scenic Roads and the Town Moderator with the By-Laws recommended in Article 11, an annotated report distinguishing the current language with the proposed language will be found in Appendix B of the Fall Town Meeting Warrant on the Town’s website. http://Fall Town Meeting Warrant and supporting documents

The difference will also be explained in future Article 11 Update articles.