I was wrong in my previous post about what the Saugus town meeting allows for in terms of public input at its meetings.  At town meeting, the public is only allowed to speak on a subject that is already before the town meeting, as the rule I posted in my previous comment clearly states.  (I don't know what I was thinking when I wrote the post.) My understanding of the BOS decision is that a majority of the members on the BOS want to limit public input to the hearing portions of its meetings, which is similar to what happens at town meeting now.  The BOS, however, is the elected body that oversees the running of the town government and plays a very different role than the town meeting does.    I don't know if there would be much need for additional public input at town meeting than is already allowed because the town meeting itself can only act on items that are on the warrant.  (BTW, the selectmen are allowed to raise issues not on the agenda during a protion of their meetings.) The town of Lincoln, however, has done something interesting to encourage public interest in town meeting.  Here is the description if its efforts that is posted on the Masachusetts Municipal Association's website (Lincoln won an innovations award from the MMA in 2004:  The Town of Lincoln
State of the Town

In an effort to engage residents’ interest in Town Meeting and keep it a vital part of civic life in Lincoln, the Board of Selectmen introduced a State of the Town meeting in 2002 as part of the town’s planning process.

Unlike a traditional town meeting, State of the Town is a discussion between local officials and residents rather than a business meeting – no motions are made and not a single vote is taken. The town’s elected and appointed leadership present summaries of the key issues and challenges confronting the community, including a discussion of policy options for achieving the stated objectives, and then invite the residents to offer their views, comments and suggestions. Three hundred residents attended the 2002 meeting.

State of the Town was created to address increasing voter frustration with town meeting. Town officials learned that many citizens felt that the traditional planning and decision-making process, with its numerous meetings and hearings leading up to Town Meeting, provided little opportunity for meaningful citizen participation. The residents needed an efficient way to learn about the major issues and then a chance to express an opinion about priorities and resources early in the process, before plans and budgets are developed.

Lincoln held its second State of the Town meeting in November 2003.
Contact: Town Administrator Timothy Higgins at (781) 259-2600

The MMA webpage discussing this effort is at:  http://www.mma.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=404&Itemid=95

Lincoln, which has an open town meeting, still holds a "State of the Town meeting" every year and has a webpage devoted to the presentations made at the meeting: http://www.lincolntown.org/townMeeting/atm_2008.htm