Chesterfield Selectboard to seek legal review of petition warrant questions ahead of Town Meeting

The Chesterfield Selectboard agreed Feb. 22 to refer questions about a citizen-filed petition warrant article to town counsel to ensure compliance with RSA 37:15 before the upcoming Town Meeting. The board recorded that the questions "will be sent to the town lawyers to ensure the petition warrant is handled correctly for the upcoming Town Meeting," in the meeting minutes.

Selectboard Chairman Fran Shippee called the working meeting to order at 3:28 p.m. and, according to the minutes, the board moved into a non-public session under RSA 91-A:3, II(a) earlier in the meeting. Present during the public portion of the minutes were Fran Shippee; Gary Winn; Judy Idelkope; Mary Ewell; and Michelle Hilger. The minutes also list Lance Rouse as present.

The board discussed procedural requirements tied to RSA 37:15, the statute the minutes cite in connection with the petition warrant article. The minutes do not record a formal vote on the petition referral; rather, they record the board's decision to forward the questions to town lawyers for review. The minutes say the referral is intended "to ensure the petition warrant is handled correctly for the upcoming Town Meeting."

The meeting minutes show the board adjourned at 5:15 p.m. The town's next steps, per the minutes, are to await counsel's guidance on the petition warrant article before finalizing any Town Meeting paperwork.