2024 Moderators (SB 2 Town Meeting) Workshop
Workshop Agenda
9:00 am - The Fundamentals of Town and School District Meeting For SB 2 Municipalities
A review of the law governing the annual meeting and the role of the moderator at town, village district and school district meetings. This presentation will cover permitted amendments to warrant articles, voting on warrant article amendments, along with addressing the operating budget warrant article and the role of the default budget. Attention will also be paid to essential statutes, postponement, electioneering, and related First Amendment and Right-to-Know Law issues.
Stephen Buckley, Legal Services Counsel, NH Municipal Association and Lynn Christensen, Moderator, Town of Merrimack
10:30 am - Break
10:40 am –Tips and Tricks for Maintaining Order and Civility
At a time when public meetings seem to be getting increasingly contentious and confrontational, maintaining order and civility is as important as ever. This section will cover the basics of respecting an individual’s 1st Amendment right to free speech, how to handle disruptive behavior, and explore some useful practices and procedures for maintaining civility in a public forum.
Jonathan Cowal, Municipal Services Counsel, NH Municipal Association; William J. Phillips, Staff Attorney & Director of Policy Services, NH School Boards Association; Paul Inderbitzen, Moderator, Town of Hudson
11:20 am – Legislative Update: Legislation Passed in 2023 & Looking Forward to the 2024 Session
An update on election law changes last legislative session and a look toward what is currently pending at the legislature.
Natch Greyes, Government Affairs Counsel, NH Municipal Association
Video recording of legislative update: https://youtu.be/oxNYPlgVx40 (Duration: 25:57)
12:00 noon - Break
12:20 pm - Hypotheticals
Break-out sessions for review and answering hypothetical situations that moderators might face.
Video recording of hypotheticals: https://youtu.be/hWoLqGW8ENg (Duration: 30:02)
1:30 pm - Workshop ends
