Moderator previews warrant, select board assigns presenters; clerks to recommend voting machines and poll pads

Bow Town Moderator Peter Impeze met with the Board of Selectmen on Feb. 11 to scan the town-meeting warrant, identify who will present individual articles and confirm logistics for the March election and town meeting. He identified Ben Canary as the lead for the single petitioned article on the warrant and said town counsel will review the petition’s language.

Impeze told the board he did “not intend to take up a ton of your time” but wanted to ensure the warrant was in order and that the moderator’s office and select board were coordinated ahead of voting day. “I scanned the warrant, and I see that, you know, we have 1 petitioned article at the end,” he said, and confirmed “Ben Canary” as the petitioner the moderator should recognize at town meeting.

Why it matters: The moderator’s review clarified who will introduce items on the floor and flagged a pending legal review of the petitioned article, which could affect how the article is presented and debated. The select board also used the meeting to appoint who will introduce specific warrant articles and to set logistics for election day staffing.

Key details - Lead petitioner: Ben Canary was identified by Impeze as the person the moderator should recognize for the petitioned warrant article. Town counsel is expected to review the language before town meeting. - Warrant presenters and assignments: Selectmen divided responsibility for presenting warrant articles and the board walked through who will read or introduce each article at town meeting. - Voting machines and poll pads: Impeze said the money for new voting machines was appropriated in a prior year and that clerks will meet and recommend which machine to purchase. He also described poll pads (digital check-in devices) as well-received in other towns and said the town plans to schedule an implementation so staff can be trained before the next cycle of elections. - Naming the second session: Impeze pointed out the draft warrant used the term “deliberative” for a regular session; the board agreed to change it to the customary “business session” wording for a standard town meeting. - Election-day staffing rules: The moderator reviewed the ability to appoint a select-person pro tem to cover a selectperson who is unavailable on election day and noted there is no statute that disqualifies a volunteer from serving because a spouse is a candidate; he recommended getting a town-counsel opinion if the board wanted an official written interpretation.

Timing and scheduling The board adjusted its meeting calendar around school vacation and the election. Members agreed to meet March 4 and again later in March rather than on the usual fourth-Tuesday schedule so the board can finalize items before town meeting and the March election.

What happens next Town counsel’s opinion on the petition article is expected before town meeting; clerks and the moderator will finalize recommendations on voting machines and poll pads; the board will present articles on the warrant as assigned at town meeting.

Ending: The moderator closed by urging careful coordination with clerks and counsel so the town meeting runs smoothly and the board can answer procedural questions on the floor.