Minutes

Rules & Ordinance · from the Town's website · 2 pages · 14 KB
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Winthrop Board or Committee Public Body Minutes 
Councilor Millar, Chair
Councilor Dimes, Member
Councilor Romano, Member 
Name of Public Body : Rules and Ordinance 
Date & Time of Meeting : Wednesday, July 30, 2026 5:00pm 
Location of Meeting: Winthrop Town Hall Harvey Room
Called to order at 5:00pm by Councilor Millar
Roll Call Attendance: Councilor Romano on Zoom, Councilor Dimes on Zoom,
Councilor Millar, present
The Rules & Ordinance Committee reviewed and deferred votes on three major items:
the Public Comment Policy, appointment/reappointment application rules (policy-making
and non-policy-making), and the public comment answer period proposal. Key edits
were identified across all items, with revised drafts to be circulated before the next
meeting. President Lettieri will be invited to the next meeting to discuss the public
comment response period. 
Decisions Made 
 Minutes: Not approved; Councilor Dimes to amend and resubmit 
 Public Comment Policy: 10-minute total cap and 2-minute-per-speaker limit
applied for this meeting; full policy vote deferred pending edits. 
 Public Comment Policy: Remove the 10-minute aggregate cap; retain 2-minute
individual limit; add one-time-per-speaker rule; define "substantially disruptive"
conduct. 
 Rule 8: Discussion deferred until after President Lettieri's pending motion is
heard at the full council. 
 Special Committees: Town Clerk to be consulted on active/inactive status;
committees to be separated into policy-making vs. non-policy-making categories. 
 Policymaking Appointments: Require application, resume, and letter of intent for
both new appointments and reappointments; 5 business days' advance
distribution to council members. 
 Non-Policymaking Appointments: Require application only (no resume, no
mandatory appearance); letter of intent for reappointments. 
 Conflict of Interest Screening: Add a conflict-of-interest disclosure question
directly to the board/committee application form; town clerk to verify
requirements. 
 Public Comment Answer Period: Full discussion deferred; President Lettieri
invited to next meeting to clarify his intent. 
Pending Confirmation 
 Revised Public Comment Policy (edits incorporated) to be voted on at next
meeting.

 Revised appointment/reappointment rules (both policy and non-policy drafts) to
be re-circulated and voted on at a future meeting. 
 Conflict-of-interest application requirement to be verified with Town Clerk. 
 Scope and format of public comment answer period pending input from President
Lettieri. 
Questions 
 How to set a workable deadline for filling vacant seats without conflicting with the
Council President's charter authority to nominate. 
 Whether and how to track unanswered public questions (e.g., FAQ page, clerk
log, email responses). 
 How to define the president's discretion in granting councilor responses during
public comment. 
Meeting adjourned at 6pm by Councilor Millar