2019 Connecticut General Statutes
Title 7 - Municipalities
Chapter 90 - Town and Other Community Meetings
Section 7-3 - Warning of town and other meetings.
The warning of each town meeting, and of each meeting of a city, borough, school district or other public community or of an ecclesiastical society, shall specify the objects for which such meeting is to be held. Notice of a town meeting shall be given by posting, upon a signpost or other exterior place near the office of the town clerk of such town and at such other place or places as may be designated as hereinafter provided, a printed or written warning signed by the selectmen, or a majority of them, and by publishing a like warning in a newspaper published in such town or having a circulation therein, such posting and such publication to be at least five days previous to holding the meeting, including the day that notice is given and any Sunday and any legal holiday which may intervene between such posting and such publication and the day of holding such meeting, but not including the day of holding such meeting; but any town may, at an annual meeting, designate any other place or places, in addition to the signpost or other exterior place, at which such warnings shall be set up. The selectmen shall, on or before the day of such meeting, cause a copy of each such warning to be left with the town clerk, who shall record the same. Notice of a meeting of a city or borough shall be given by posting, upon a signpost or other exterior place nearest to the office of the clerk of such city or borough or at such place or places as may be designated by special charter provision, a written or printed warning signed by the mayor or clerk in the case of a city or by the warden or clerk in the case of a borough, and by publishing a like warning in a newspaper published within the limits of such city or borough, or having a circulation therein, at least five days previous to holding the meeting, including the day that notice is given and any Sunday and any legal holiday which may intervene between such posting and such publication and the day of holding such meeting, but not including the day of holding such meeting.
(1949 Rev., S. 493; 1953, S. 211d; 1963, P.A. 212; P.A. 84-146, S. 1.)
History: 1963 act deleted provisions for posting warnings on signposts in the municipality and substituted posting on signpost or other exterior place nearest clerk's office; P.A. 84-146 made technical grammatical change.
Both warning and notice are requisite for legal meeting. 4 D. 62; 5 C. 391; 37 C. 392; 44 C. 157; 52 C. 483; 58 C. 488; 60 C. 165; 121 U.S. 121. Warning is to be affirmatively proved. 8 C. 247. Town clerk's record that meeting was legally warned is prima facie evidence thereof. 25 C. 555; see 121 U.S. 121. The hour of meeting presumed to be a proper hour. 13 C. 227. The notice should fairly state the purpose of meeting. Id.; 15 C. 327; 36 C. 83; 53 C. 577; 58 C. 488. Town may act within the limits of the warning. 55 C. 245. The statute prescribed method of notice, while by its vote the society prescribed more general notice; held that the society vote was merely directory. 15 C. 327. A validating act of the General Assembly cures all defects incident to the act validated. 52 C. 45. “Soldier's bounty” validating acts, so held. 32 C. 47; 37 C. 225. Town has no inherent legal powers; warning needs no address, but addressed “to the inhabitants” is valid. 32 C. 47. Clerk's certificate imports verity only as to matters of lawful consideration. 44 C. 158; 51 C. 22. 5 days before the meeting means 5 days before the day of meeting. Id. A meeting illegally warned voted a guarantee; a subsequent legal meeting voted “to let conditions of former vote remain as they now stand”; held not to be a ratification. Id.; see 121 U.S. 121. Town is not estopped by erroneous record of town clerk, as against one acting under it. Id. Meeting voted to adjourn “to Wednesday evening”; held to mean the next Wednesday. 52 C. 45. Unless restrictive in terms, a subsequent board of selectmen may carry out the purpose of a vote. Id., 498. As to what constitutes an appropriation. 58 C. 486. Town may by acquiescence ratify unauthorized act of selectmen. 59 C. 447. General notice sufficient as to action required by law. 77 C. 197. Notice published in newspaper 4 days before meeting insufficient. 83 C. 331. Warning to consider water company's proposition in regard to laying water main held to cover vote to contract with company for laying the water main. 97 C. 636. Unnecessary for warning to state number of grand jurors to be elected. 111 C. 341. Cited. 152 C. 237; 185 C. 556; 234 C. 513.
Warning advising voters “to determine what is to be done about the addition of a room to the ... school” did not warn of the action taken rescinding votes passed at a prior meeting authorizing the building of an addition to the school. 13 CS 116.
