Policies
Usage procedures related to the TMMA Yahoo E-mail list
Acceptable Use Policy for the TMMA Yahoo e-mail list, adopted by the Executive Board on 1/11/06.
The purpose of the TMMA list is to support, encourage and inform discussion among Town Meeting Members regarding issues before Town Meeting or directly concerning the Town of Lexington. Appropriate postings present opinions, ask questions, provide answers or offer illuminating information on acceptable topics. Pertinent topics are those that:
- could or will come before Town Meeting;
- are relevant to Lexington Government; or
- are specifically relevant at a town level.
List members are encouraged to use other Lexington on-line groups for postings that fall outside of these guidelines.
Persons who may post to the TMMA list are Town Meeting Members, elected officials, Town Management, and Committee, Board or Commission Members. All postings are freely available for viewing by the public via the list's website at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lex-tmma/. As a courtesy, list members may post messages on behalf of those who are not list members, if such messages otherwise meet these guidelines.
Be polite and respectful in tone. Following the same expectations outlined by the Town Moderator before every Town Meeting, list members should address the issue, not the personality, and should not impute motive. Please sign all messages and identify your committee or position if you are writing in an official capacity.
The TMMA will respond to postings in violation of these guidelines with an escalating set of actions beginning with private, then public reminders of the policy, and ending with suspension or removal from the list.
Policy on Posting Event Announcements on the TMMA email list
Announcements of public meetings with subject matter concerning public policy are welcome on the TMMA list.
Text should be limited to a description of the subject matter, the name of the sponsoring organization, the date, time and location.
Information should be presented in a neutral, non-advocating, journalistic tone.
Announcements by town departments, official town committees and boards, and the TMMA are welcome without restriction.
Posting of political campaign events by candidates and ballot proponents is not allowed on the list.
Ethics- Conflict of Interest
Elected Town Meeting Members are not covered by the
Massachusetts Conflict of Interest Laws in G. L. Chapter 268A,
which covers all other municipal employees and elected officials.
The exclusion of elected Town Meeting Members is because of their
special status as elected "voters" rather than elected officials.
They have been elected to exercise the right to vote on Town
matters. Town Meeting adopted the following non-binding conflict of
interest resolution under Article 81, April 2, 1976:
"Resolved that the Town Meeting Member abstain from voting in
any particular matter in which to his knowledge, he, his immediate
family or partner, a business organization in which he is serving
as officer, director, trustee, partner or employee, or any person
or organizations with whom he is negotiating or has any arrangement
concerning prospective employment has any economic interest in the
particular matter under consideration."
This resolution constitutes a moral obligation on the part of
all Town Meeting Members. It is neither a regulation nor a part of
the Town’s General By-laws. It does not have the force of law
and is thus not enforceable. In practice, some Town Meeting Members
notify the Town Clerk in writing of their intentions to abstain
from voting on certain articles because of possible conflict of
interest, and the Moderator so reports to the meeting at the time
the votes are taken on such articles. Other members rise and state
their intentions at the time of debate. The resolution had been
preceded by a set of recommendations made by an ad hoc TMMA
committee, which suggested the following Code of Ethics, which was
adopted by the TMMA on June 9, 1971.
1. Any person who is employed in any capacity (e.g., attorney,
architect, broker, etc.) by another interested in the article under
discussion should disclose his or her employment and relationship
before speaking.
2. Any person who has a financial interest in the article under
discussion should disclose his financial interest before speaking
thereon.
3. Any person who is the spouse, parent, child, brother or
sister of a person who has a financial interest in the article
under discussion should disclose such relationship before speaking
thereon.
4. Any Town Meeting Member who is referred to in the above
paragraphs 1, 2, or 3 should consider a voluntary abstention from
voting on the article in question. Notification of such abstention
should, if possible, be given to the Moderator in writing before
the session in which the article is considered, but at least before
debate on the article.
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