Canton, Massachusetts · Saved source text
(3-25-25 Document #6) Bylaw Modernization Study Committee Articles 23-26
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ANNUAL TOWN MEETING – MAY 11, 2026
DISCUSSION:
APPROVED__________DISAPPROVED__________
ARTICLE 23
BYLAW MODERNIZATION STUDY COMMITTEE EXTENSION
Article 23 To see If the Town will vote to reauthorize the Town Meeting Bylaw Modernization Study Committee for
two (2) years to conduct a review of the Town of Canton’s General By-Laws for possible town meeting articles to
adopt changes thereto (but not the town’s Zoning By-laws) and to bring forth recommendations for adoption of
changes on or before the 2028 Annual Town Meeting. Vacancies occurring on this Town Meeting Committee shall
be appointed by the Town Moderator. The Committee shall continue to be comprised of 9 members to include:
• A Member of the Select Board, or designee of the Select Board;
• Director of Finance, or designee of the Finance Director;
• Information Systems manager, or designee of the Information Systems manager
• Town Administrator, or designee of the Town Administrator; and
• 5 citizens of the Town of Canton as members at large.
Or take any other action related thereto.
Select Board for the Bylaw Modernization Study Committee
MOVED: That Town Meeting reauthorize the Town Meeting Bylaw Modernization Study
Committee, established with adoption of Article 30 Bylaw Modernization Study Committee Creation at
the May 2024 Annual Town Meeting, for two (2) years to conduct a review of the Town of Canton’s
General Bylaws for possible town meeting articles to adopt changes thereto (but not the Town’s Zoning
Bylaws) and to bring forth recommendations for adoption of changes before the 2030 Annual Town
Meeting. Vacancies occurring on this Town Meeting Committee shall be appointed by the Town
Moderator. The Committee shall continue to be comprised of 9 members as presented in this article.
FINANCE COMMITTEE VOTE:
DISCUSSION:
APPROVED__________DISAPPROVED__________
ARTICLE 24
AMEND GENERAL BYLAW ARTICLE IV ANNUAL TOWN MEETING – MODERATOR
Article 24 To see if the Town will vote to amend General Bylaw Article IV by deleting Section 1A in its entirety,
deleting Section 4 in its entirety and replacing with the following Section 4 and amend Section 5 with the following
with new language in bold and language to be deleted in strikethrough
Section 4 Moderator Election, Powers and Duties
The town moderator, elected as provided below, shall preside at all sessions of the town meeting.
Annually, at the first session of the spring town meeting, the town moderator shall appoint a deputy
moderator to serve as acting moderator in the event of the temporary absence or disability of the town
moderator. The appointment of a deputy moderator shall be subject to ratification by the town
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ANNUAL TOWN MEETING – MAY 11, 2026
meeting. The deputy moderator shall, when presiding at town meeting sessions, have all the powers of
the town moderator, but shall have no other powers or duties of the town moderator.
The town moderator, at town meetings, shall regulate the proceedings, decide all questions of order,
make public declaration of all votes and may exercise such additional powers and duties as may be
authorized by general law, by-law or other vote of the town meeting.
(a) Term of Office - The moderator shall be elected to serve a two (2) year term, beginning with the
2027 annual town election and every two (2) years thereafter. The incumbent town moderator’s term
shall expire upon election of a successor moderator at the 2027 annual town election.
(b) Powers and Duties – The town moderator shall be the presiding officer of the town meeting, shall
regulate its proceedings, decide all questions of order and shall have such other powers and duties as
may be provided for that office by general law, by-law and other vote of the town meeting.
© Vacancy – In the event of a vacancy in the office of town moderator, the deputy moderator, as
designated above, shall perform the powers and duties of the town moderator until the election of a
successor.
Section 5 Order of Business
The order of business at the annual town meeting shall be as follows:
1. the election of a moderator,
2. 1. The adoption of procedures to govern the conduct of the meeting,
3. 2. To hear the reports of committees appointed at prior town meetings,
4. 3. To hear a report on the fiscal condition of the town,
5. 4. To act on a, so-called, consent agenda,
Or take any other action related thereto.
Select Board for the Bylaw Modernization Study Committee
MOVED: That General Bylaw Article IV be amended as printed in the Warrant.
FINANCE COMMITTEE VOTE:
DISCUSSION:
APPROVED__________DISAPPROVED__________
ARTICLE 25
AMEND GENERAL BYLAW ARTICLE IV ANNUAL TOWN MEETING – VOTING
Article 25 To see if the Town will vote to amend General Bylaw Article IV by inserting the following language into
Section 12 after the second paragraph:
Notwithstanding the provisions of Voice vote, subject to the availability of an approved electronic vote counting and
recording system for use by Town Meeting members, the Moderator may determine that a vote be taken by use of
such electronic vote counting and recording system.
Or take any other action related thereto.
Select Board for the Bylaw Modernization Study Committee
MOVED: That General Bylaw Article IV be amended by inserting the following language into
Section 12 after the second paragraph: Notwithstanding the provisions of Voice vote, subject to the
availability of an approved electronic vote counting and recording system for use by Town Meeting
members, the Moderator may determine that a vote be taken by use of such electronic vote counting
and recording system.
FINANCE COMMITTEE VOTE:
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ANNUAL TOWN MEETING – MAY 11, 2026
DISCUSSION:
APPROVED__________DISAPPROVED__________
ARTICLE 26
AMEND GENERAL BYLAW ARTICLE IV ANNUAL TOWN MEETING – RECONSIDERATION
Article 26 To see if the Town will vote to amend General Bylaw Article IV by deleting the language in Section 6 in
its entirety and inserting the following language in its place:
MOVED: That General Bylaw Article IV be amended by deleting the language in Section 6 in its
entirety and inserting the following language in its place:
Section 6 Reconsideration
If an article of the warrant has once been acted upon and disposed of, a motion to return to the article may be
made at any time, if the Moderator determines that the person offering the motion discloses significant new factual
information to the Town meeting concerning said article, which existed but had not been disclosed or made
available to the meeting when the motion under that article was debated, and the Moderator thereupon explains
why such information satisfies the foregoing criteria. If the moderator deems a reconsideration request does not
meet the requirements but the body feels differently, then the proponent of the reconsideration request can ask for
a vote of the town meeting members and if this vote passed by a simple majority that the motion to reconsider will
proceed provided, however, that debate and action on said motion shall be deferred until all financial articles are
concluded and the budget ball is added to the lottery system. A two-thirds vote shall be required for approval of a
motion to reconsider an article
Or take any other action related thereto.
Select Board for the Bylaw Modernization Study Committee
FINANCE COMMITTEE VOTE:
DISCUSSION:
APPROVED__________DISAPPROVED_________
ARTICLE 27
AMEND BYLAW ARTICLE XIV POLICE REGULATIONS SECTION 2 OBSTRUCTIONS OF PUBLIC WAYS AND
SIDEWALKS
Article 27 To see if the Town will vote to amend General Bylaw Article XIV Section 2 by adding the following new
language in bold:
Section 2. Obstructions of Public Ways and Sidewalks No person shall place, or cause to be placed, upon any
public way or sidewalk, any lumber, iron, wood, coal, trunk, bale, box, crate, cask, barrel, package or other thing,
and allow the same to remain for more than one hour, or more than ten minutes after being notified by a police
officer to remove the same, provided that the provisions of this section shall not apply to placing of ashes, refuse
or garbage in proper receptacles for collection under public authority. Any such obstruction(s) as referred to
in this section which remain(s) on any public way or sidewalk beyond the above referenced time
frame(s) may be removed by and/or under the direction of a police officer at the owner’s expense and
any expense(s) not reimbursed to the Town shall constitute a municipal charge lien in accordance with
G.L. c. 40, §58.
Or take any other action related thereto.
Select Board
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