===OCR macOS Vision===
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Place: Ritter Memorial Building, 960 Massachusetts Avenue
Time: 7:02PM
Present: Jaime Toale (Selectmen), Bob Ebersole (Selectman), Katey Adams (School Committee Representative,
Mark Erickson (Finance Committee), Michael-Ray Jeffreys (Planning Board), Michael Mackin (School Committee
Representative), Terri Burchfield (Finance Committee), Nancy Gray (Community Representative)
Absent: Steve Archambault (Community Representative)
1. CALL TO ORDER
2. PUBLIC COMMENT
No public comments
3. BOARD ANNOUNCEMENTS
None
4. MINUTES APPROVAL
None approved
5. DISCUSSION
7 pm Phyllis Luck regarding proposal to require minimum number of votes for a candidate to be elected as a write in
Ms. Luck mentioned that currently, there is not a minimum threshold for write in candidates to reach to be elected
onto a town office. Ms. Luck recommended 42 votes (10% of last election where a governor was elected) to be the
threshold for write-in candidates since that is the amount of signatures needed for a candidate to be on the ballot. J.
Toale added B. Ebersole added that this should also become the minimum votes needed. General discussion. I.
Burchfield, K. Adams, N. Gray, and M. Jeffreys would not support this change. T. Burchfield added that if it's under
42 it could be an interim appointment, but would like to see how often we find ourselves in the position where write-
in candidates win with less than 42 votes. M. Erickson noted that if one can win the caucus with a simple
unspecified majority of 2, then that should be the threshold. Ms. Adams noted changing this would restrict residents
opportunities to participate. B. Ebersole called for a vote to continue this conversation. J. Toale and M. Mackin
supported continuing the conversation, M. Jeffreys, K. Adams, N. Gray, M. Erickson, B. Ebersole, and T.
Burchfield were opposed.
Feedback from survey
No results from the survey
Feedback from town committees and officers
Review, discuss and vote on draft charter changes as follows:
A. non-substantive changes (typos, grammar, flow, state law changes, department input)
1.2: Adding quotation marks around "Lunenburg Home Charter rule
1.7j: Changing definition of quorum to match MGL
2-3b: adding requirement to be a registered voter
2-4: changing language to first annual town meeting and adding in a second annual town meeting
2-7: changing to written or electronic and provided instead of mailed
2-10: adjusting rules of procedure to clarify how Town Meeting conduct is governed
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operations
3-10: Need to adjust wording to clarify the relationship between the land use director
3-12: recommend changing town clerk to appointed and not elected
4-1: appointment of town manager - adding in that the town manager may appoint one resident voter, at large.
Clarifying that the town manager shall not have served in "Lunenburg" town government in previous 12 months
4-2c: changing appointments from Board of Selectmen to Town manager with ratification by Town Manager.
4-2d: add in "evaluate and supervise" for positions appointed by the town manager
4-2e: clarifying that the town manager is the personnel administrator
4-2i: adding in "maintenance and repair" of town properties not otherwise controlled; discussed removing the word
"full" and adding in "subject to policy by BOS"
4-21: requiring contract negotiations to be ratified by the BOS
4-2m: removes language that specifically quotes MGL to allow the charter to be more flexible to changes
4-2s: broadens language to capital budget programs
4-5: requires town moderator to preside over a meeting for the removal of the town manager
5-3d3: removes redundancy
5-3d5: removes redundancy
6-3: removes requirement to post in newspaper; adds in posting on website and mailing to homes where resident
voters reside
6-5: removes redundancy
7-8: clarifies posting requirement to exclude Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays; clarifies language to not say journal
and minutes instead.
7-9: misspelling on coterminous
7-11: enforcement of charter provisions - authorizes town manager to faithfully see that provisions of the charter
and bylaws are followed
8-5: continuation of service provision to allow current office holders to continue to serve
B. Clarifying changes (expanding language to reflect intent, additional provisions from other towns' charters
to improve ours)
C. Major changes (SelectBoard versus Selectmen, Appointed versus Elected Town Clerk)
Straw Poll - 5 of 8 support changing to appointed from elected.
D. Proposed election changes (minimum number of votes for write-ins, term limits, ranked choice voting.
Term limits - proposed 3 terms for all elected positions. Discussed having a limit of 4 terms except
planning board where it would be 3 elected terms, resulting to 12 - 15 years.
Additional survey and outreach efforts to seek town input on town clerk as elected vs. appointed and for Select
Board versus Board of Selectmen. Committee will review results at the next meeting.
6. ACTION ITEMS BEFORE NEXT MEETING
a. Continue to communicate with boards, committees, and departments to identify organizational
inefficiencies and needs.
7. PUBLIC COMMENT
8. BOARD COMMENT/CONCERNS
9. MEETING SCHEDULE:
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