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Committees: Advisory Committee

Part 1

SECTION 1 - There shall be an advisory committee, which shall perform the duties set forth in the following sections of this Article and be governed by the provisions thereof. Said committee shall consist of fifteen citizens of the town, and shall be appointed as provided in the following section. No person holding an elective or appointive town office shall be eligible to serve on said committee.

SECTION 2 - Prior to the commencement of each fiscal year, the moderator shall appoint five members of said committee, each to serve a term of three (3) years, commencing on the first day of the fiscal year next following the appointment; provided, however, that any incumbent members, whose term would otherwise expire at an annual town meeting, in accordance with the provisions of this section in effect a the time of such member's appointment, shall serve through June 30th of the year in which the term expires. The committee shall choose its own officers, and shall serve without pay, excepting, however, the secretary, whose compensation shall be fixed by the committee. The committee shall cause to be kept a true record of its
proceedings.

SECTION 3 - There shall be referred to and considered by the Advisory committee all articles in any town meeting warrant. A public hearing may be held upon any article, and a notice of such hearing shall be given either by advertising the same in a newspaper published in the town, or by posting a copy thereof in at least six public places in the town five days at least before said hearing. The committee shall report to the town meeting, in print or otherwise, such recommendations on each article as it deems best for the interests of the town.

SECTION 4 - The advisory committee shall consider the budget proposed for the town for the ensuing fiscal year by the Board of Selectmen. Such budget shall show in detail all estimated income from the proposed tax levy and other sources and all proposed expenditures, including debt service, for the ensuing fiscal year, and shall be arranged to show the actual and estimated income and expenditures for the previous, current and ensuing fiscal years. The advisory committee shall, after considering such proposed budget, establish the amounts which should, in its opinion, be appropriated for the ensuing fiscal year, shall add thereto such explanations and suggestions as it deems expedient, and shall report thereon as provided in Section 3.

SECTION 5 - Whenever any vacancy shall occur in the committee it shall be filled by the moderator. If any member is absent from five consecutive meetings of the committee, for other cause than illness, his position shall be deemed vacant and the committee shall report such vacancy to the moderator, who shall proceed to fill the same. Any person chosen to fill a vacancy in the committee shall hold office for the unexpired term of the person whom he succeeds.

SECTION 6 - The committee shall make an annual report of its doings, with recommendations relative to financial matters and such other matters at it deems expedient, to be printed with the annual reports of the town officers.

PART 2

CAPITAL OUTLAY COMMITTEE

SECTION 1 - There shall be a Capital Outlay Committee, which shall perform the duties set forth in the following sections of this Article 14 and be governed by the provisions hereof. Said committee shall consist of six citizens of the town, and shall be appointed as provided in the following sections.

SECTION 2 - The moderator shall appoint three of the members of said committee. Prior to the commencement of each fiscal year, the moderator shall appoint one member to said committee to serve a term of three years, commencing on the first day of the fiscal year next following the appointment; provided, however, that any incumbent member whose term would otherwise expire at an annual town meeting, in accordance with the terms of this section in effect at the time of such member appointment, shall serve through June 30th of the year in which the term expires.

SECTION 3 - The Chairman of the Advisory Committee, prior to the commencement of each fiscal year shall appoint, from among the members of the Advisory Committee, two members of said committee to serve a term of one year, beginning on the first day of the fiscal year next following the appointment; provided, however, that any incumbent member whose term would otherwise expire at an annual town meeting, in accordance with the provisions of this Section in effect at the time of such member appointment, shall serve through June 30th of the year in which the term
expires.

SECTION 4 - Whenever any vacancy shall occur in the committee, it shall be filled by the appointing authority which appointed the member whose position shall have become vacant. Any person appointed to fill a vacancy in the committee shall hold office for the unexpired term of the person whom he succeeds.

SECTION 5 - The town accountant shall be ex-officio a member of the committee. He shall not, however, be entitled to vote on the making of recommendations to be included in its reports. The committee shall choose its own officers and shall serve without compensation.

SECTION 6 - It shall be the duty of the committee to ascertain annually what capital outlays will be required by the town during the next six years. In making this determination, it may consult the town, county, and state officials and with other boards and committees of the town. It shall publish and distribute to each voter an annual report and such further reports as it deems advisable, and shall include in such reports its estimates of income, operational expenses and tax rates, and its recommendation for scheduling capital outlays and for the financing of such outlays as in its judgment cannot be, or should not be, paid for entirely out of current revenues.