Danvers review committee approves draft revisions to Town Meeting and Town Manager acts

The Danvers Town Meeting/Town Manager Acts Review Committee voted May 14 in the Daniel J. Toomey hearing room at Town Hall to accept a final draft report and redlined revisions to the Town Meeting Act and the Town Manager Act and to prepare the materials for delivery to the Select Board and the Finance Committee.

The action follows the committee's multi-meeting review of the two acts; members said the packet to the Select Board will include a cover memo, the final report, and the redlined versions of both acts so town meeting members and town officials can trace the proposed changes. Committee chair Sally (chair of the Danvers Town Meeting/Town Manager Acts Review Committee) said she planned to deliver the packet to town staff the next day so it can be included with the Select Board materials.

Members emphasized procedural and textual changes in the redlines. The draft replaces the historic term "selectmen" with "Select Board" throughout the documents and standardizes a review trigger now worded to require review of the acts at least once every 20 years or sooner "as decided by a majority vote of town meeting members at an annual or special representative town meeting." The committee also adjusted language in the recall section to remove an ambiguous reference to "other" grounds and to clarify that voters individually determine whether listed grounds for recall are sufficient.

Committee members discussed how the Select Board might handle the package. Chair Sally said she asked that the Select Board place the item on its June 17 agenda; Dan Bennett (then-chair of the Select Board, referenced from earlier discussions) had identified the Select Board's organizational meeting on June 3 and indicated June 17 as a likely date for committee presentation. If the Select Board approves sending the measures forward, the items could go to the Finance Committee (FINCOM) as warrant articles and, depending on timing and Select Board direction, might appear at a special town meeting rather than the immediate annual town meeting.

Members debated whether to present the measures as one package or as separate warrant articles. Several members said it would be straightforward to present the Town Meeting Act and the Town Manager Act as separate warrants; the recall provisions drew particular attention and some members said separating a recall warrant could protect the remainder of the package if FINCOM or others voted no action on that section. Mike Trainor (committee member who led much of the recall research) was identified as someone who might be asked to present the recall language if the Select Board requests additional explanation.

Logistics for distributing materials and outreach were discussed. The committee requested that town staff assemble roughly 20 hard-copy packets (to include the five Select Board members, the town moderator, the town manager, staff, and committee members) and discussed providing an electronic version. Members suggested additional ways to alert town meeting members and residents, including posting the materials on the Town of Danvers website, a DCAT program to explain the changes, social media notices directing people to the town website, and precinct-level email outreach to town meeting members (with attention to open-meeting and reply limits).

The committee recorded two formal actions at the meeting: acceptance of the minutes of the May 7 meeting and acceptance of the draft report as written. The May 7 minutes were accepted by a recorded outcome described in the meeting as 7 yes, 0 no, with 2 abstentions (those members absent from the earlier meeting). The committee also voted to authorize the chair to finalize the minutes of the May 14 meeting and attach the final report and the redlined acts to the minutes in the town records.

Committee members noted the workload and thanked contributors. Members said the committee had met for roughly 40 hours over its review and that the process had produced a document suitable for Select Board and FINCOM review. The group closed by agreeing to be available to present before the Select Board if asked and to coordinate attendance for any Select Board or FINCOM sessions addressing the recommendations.

The Select Board's consideration and any FINCOM referral or special town meeting scheduling will determine next steps and timing for town meeting action.