Moderator compiles public feedback on town meeting: petitions, hybrid options and 'living' warrant proposed

Town Moderator John Arnold presented the results of outreach to voters about the annual town meeting process. He convened three office‑hour sessions and received about 29 substantive responses. Participants broadly affirmed the value of direct voter participation but flagged barriers to attendance, such as all‑day Saturday schedules, childcare and digital access.

Ideas that emerged included hybrid meeting formats (participants deliberate remotely or in representative formats), a 'deliberate first, vote later' process modeled on New Hampshire SB2‑style town meetings, placing nonbinding questions on the town election ballot, and creating a 'living' warrant web page that aggregates all background materials, links to past deliberations and tracks project outcomes over time. Many respondents suggested raising the signature threshold for citizens’ petitions (currently 10) to a higher number (proposals ranged from 100 to a percentage of registered voters) to reduce frivolous or out‑of‑scope warrant items.

The Select Board discussed options, asked town counsel for legal analysis (home rule or bylaw options and whether a local change would require state action), and asked staff and the moderator to do more research and recommend next steps. The board discussed short‑term tactical outreach measures — QR codes, targeted outreach to renters and apartment complexes, and working with library and community advocates — while reserving larger statutory changes for further study.