Proposals for Town Council

Proposals for Town Council: Policies and Procedures

A. The following process will be used in all proposals brought before Town Council. 

1. A written copy of the proposal is given to the coordinator prior to the Town Council meeting with enough time to get the proposal on the agenda. The proposal is placed on the agenda.
2. Groups have the chance to see the proposal prior to the group meeting.  They offer feedback on the proposal at the group meeting or directly to the representative if unable to attend the group meeting.  The representative will determine whether there is strong dissent within the group.  (In the context of this policy, “strong dissent” means that one or more MLC members who disagree with the majority believe that the issue needs to be discussed a second time before the majority decides.  If the MLC members who disagree do not believe further discussion is needed, that is not a “strong dissent” in this context.)
3. The proposal is presented to Town Council.  Clarifying questions about the proposal are answered.  Group reps give feedback on the proposal.  If all groups represented at Town Council support the proposal, and there is no strong dissent within any group, the proposal will pass, unless it must first be approved by a membership vote under Part B below.
4. If the proposal does not pass under step 3, the Coordinator or a delegee gives feedback to the writer of the proposal, who may resubmit the proposal, amended if desired, for a later Town Council agenda.  If a proposal is substantially rewritten it is treated as a new proposal instead of an amended proposal. (In preparing the agenda the Coordinator initially determines whether a proposal has been substantially rewritten, but Town Council may change that determination as part of the changes-to-agenda section of the regular agenda.) If it is not substantially rewritten, it is listed under “Old Business” in the agenda.  A proposal resubmitted for a later Town Council agenda is discussed and voted on by groups.  At the subsequent Town Council meeting, reps give feedback on the proposal and either a vote is taken or Town Council may extend the process for one month to continue productive community dialogue.  If a vote is taken and a majority of groups represented at the meeting support the proposal, the proposal will pass, unless it must first be approved by a membership vote under Part B below.
5. If the proposal passes, the coordinator or a delegee will publish it in the next AC, noting the date of approval by Town Council or membership ballot, and the proposal’s sponsor will see that it is implemented.  If no ballot is required implementation may begin 14 days after Town Council’s approval is emailed to the membership and posted at the MLC mail kiosk in the list of Town Council’s Actions and Decisions.  If a membership ballot is required, implementation may begin immediately after approval.  However, project expenditures should not be incurred until the needed monies have been transferred from investment funds.  During the implementation phase the proposal’s sponsor will give periodic reports to Town Council.
6. If the proposal does not pass, the proposing party has three options:  abandon it, rewrite it and go through the process again as a new proposal, or gather the required signatures to petition it to go to a membership vote.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      B.Additional Procedures for proposals to spend $4,000 or more in MLC investment funds for development projects
7. All proposals to spend $4,000 or more in MLC investment funds for development projects (capital improvements) shall be voted upon by the MLC membership.  (A proposal to replace or extensively repair an asset listed in MLC’s Asset Replacement Schedule is not a development project unless Town Council determines that the proposed replacement differs so much from the original asset that it should be treated as a new project.)  In order to pass and obtain approval, said vote shall require a majority of members to vote and a majority of those voting to support said proposal.  Proposals are not to be separated into components in order to avoid a membership vote.
8. Such proposals generally include the following:

• To scale plan
• List of materials
• List of specifications
• Full cost breakdown of components
• Estimated life-time costing, with maintenance forecasts.

1. Town Council may suggest or require that the sponsor hold one or more community meetings to receive additional feedback before submitting the proposal to a vote.
2. Town Council may also suggest or require that the sponsor plan noticed meetings before and during the construction process whenever significant decisions need to be made, allowing input before a decision is made.                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Adopted 1/18/18, replacing earlier “Process for Submitting MLC Proposals” and “Projects Funded by Endowment Money,” amended 4/23/18, 5/17/18, 8/16/18.

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