Weekly News Update – 11/12/23 – Special Town Meeting Edition
Special Town Meeting
Special Town Meeting is at 7:00 PM on Monday, November 13, 2023 in the Hopkinton Middle School Auditorium, 88 Hayden Rowe St, Hopkinton MA 01748.
Parking: Parking will be tight due to the current construction installing solar panels above the Middle School parking lot. Please be considerate and leave the spots closest to the building open for residents with mobility issues (and get your steps in by parking further away).
Childcare: The HPTO will be offering childcare in the Hopkinton Middle School Library for those who wish to attend the meeting but will have young children in tow. You do not need to register ahead of time but, it is encouraged to make check in that night faster and easier. Pre-register for Childcare
New for 2023-11-13: Hopkinton will be piloting electronic voting with handheld clickers for this town meeting. Voters will receive a clicker (as well as a paper voting pass) when they check in at Town Meeting. Read more from the Town Clerk Hopkinton Special Town Meeting Voting Goes Electronic.
Key Documents
- Read the Special Town Meeting Warrant 2023-11-13 (PDF)
- Read the Appropriation Committee Report with Recommendations for STM (PDF)
- Read the Final Warrant Articles and Motions Document_2023-11-13 (PDF)
Articles to be Voted on
- Article 1: Elmwood School Replacement Project (Elementary School Building Committee 2)
- Article 2: Non-Partisan Town Election Ballots and Elimination of Local Party Caucuses (Citizens Petition)
- Article 3: Adopt the Municipal Opt-in Specialized Stretch Energy Code (Sustainable Green Committee)
- Article 4: Municipal Parking (Select Board)
Know Your Vote
Videos: Watch the Replay of eHop’s Short Videos about Articles 1-3
Town Meeting 101
Never been to Hopkinton Town Meeting before? Don’t worry, you are not alone, 90% of registered voters have not attended ANY of the last 6 Annual Town Meetings! Watch our short video to see how it works…
You do not need to bring anything to Town Meeting. However, many people find that bringing a phone/tablet (silenced) or a notebook and pen or pencil is helpful to make notes during the discussions. Only water is allowed in the auditorium, no other food or drink is allowed in the room. There is a reusable water bottle filling station and a drinking fountain outside the auditorium. Many people also find that something to occupy one’s hands is helpful. If you are a knitter, for example, bring a small project. There are plenty of padded stationary folding auditorium style chairs, which are reasonably comfortable. But remember you’ll be there for a long time, so wear comfortable clothes.
Town Meeting begins at 7 pm and is typically held in the Middle School Auditorium. Allow time to park and walk to the building. Please keep the spots closest to the building open for residents with mobility issues. As you enter the building head directly to the sign-in tables. To actually vote in the auditorium, you must be a Hopkinton resident registered to vote and you must sign in at the voter table. Your name will be checked off and you’ll be given a small piece of paper marked “Voter Pass” and a handheld electronic yes/no clicker (New for November 2023). Hold on to this slip of paper and the clicker; you will need them when it is time for the votes to be counted. Handouts: You may opt to save paper by viewing the documents on your phone and skip the handouts table (recommended). There will be a table of handouts and fact sheets regarding all the proposed articles to be voted on from the town boards and committees. There is some terrific information here that may answer many of your questions. The information will also be displayed on the auditorium screen above the stage during the meeting. Listening devices for the hearing impaired are available. In addition, CART live captioning will be provided, as well as other accommodations requested by residents. Please ask when you check in if you have any questions.
You do not have to be present for the entire town meeting to vote, though the more that participate in whole, the more balanced the democratic process. A quorum of 1% of the registered voters (128 voters) in town is needed for the transaction of any business. There is no set time to check in. The meeting will be broadcast live via HCAM TV (Comcast 8/Verizon 30/Streaming live at www.hcam.tv), but you MUST be present to vote. You just need to check in prior to the vote, whenever you arrive. You only have to check in once, and you can come and go from the auditorium as you please. You can text (with phone switched to silent mode) from within the auditorium, although there is minimal cell coverage. Step outside to make a phone call.
The Select Board presides over the meeting, which is facilitated by the Town Moderator and recorded by the Town Clerk. For Special Town Meeting 2023-11-13, Connor Degan will be acting as the moderator. The format of the meeting itself follows procedures set out in the Town Bylaws (similar to Robert’s Rules of Order). Articles are presented, motions made, discussions ensue. Sometimes it can be a little confusing if an amendment comes up, so keep your ears open. Listen carefully — and you’ll learn a lot.
The committee or board presenting each article may make a brief presentation before each article. The Town Moderator will facilitate a question and answer period for registered residents. If you choose to ask a question or comment on an article, step up to one of the microphones located in the auditorium aisles. Wait for the moderator, to recognize you, then state your name and address, and keep your comments brief, civil, and to the point. The comment, question and answer period will end when either #1 the moderator sees that no one else is waiting at the microphone to speak or #2 a voter comes to the microphone, is recognized by the moderator, and says “I move the question” or “I call the question.” The motion to end debate must then be seconded and then adopted by a ⅔ vote.
As for the actual voting, most votes start as a voice vote. The moderator asks all in favor and all opposed. If the voice vote sounds close, it will go to a standing count. The moderator will ask all in favor to stand up. Now is the time to get out that electronic clicker and piece of paper you received when you checked-in. (For a standing count you will hold out your Voter Pass and remain standing until the counters for your section have indicated that your vote has been recorded.)
Although you can leave at any time, we recommend you do NOT leave until the meeting is officially adjourned. Someone may ask for a recount, and if a large group has already left, the outcome could be different, especially if the original vote was close. If you have any other questions about Town Meeting, please ask.