MARION - In his first motion since returning to the Select Board after an over 30 year absence, John Hoagland proposed moving Town Meetings to Saturdays.

This proposal would better accommodate the schedules of senior citizens and parents of young children, he explained at the Tuesday, May 20 Select Board meeting, the first since he was elected to the board on Friday, May 16.

This option, he noted, could also draw more people to Town Meeting.

The most recent Town Meeting ended at 11:45 p.m., he said, which can be challenging for seniors who don’t like or are unable to drive at night.

Ending a meeting at such a late hour can also interrupt their sleep schedules, Hoagland said.

Parents can also struggle to find child care through that late hour, Hoagland, who had previously served on the board for two terms beginning in 1986, said.

Town Administrator Geoffrey Gorman said that offering child care had been explored and could be an option going forward.

Select board member Randy Parker supported the Saturday date change, idea, which he described as “cutting edge.’’

Gorman noted that moving meetings to Saturdays would require a bylaw change.

Hills asked Gorman to look into other communities that host Saturday Town Meetings to learn more about that option.

At the start of the meeting, Parker was named the new chair, with Hoagland the vice chair and Hills the clerk.

Hills had proposed remaining on as chair to maintain the rotation of board members serving in different capacities.

This process has been upended, Hills noted, because of resignations and other personnel changes to the board. Remaining as chair would return the rotation to its original format.

Parker disagreed, noting that having a new chair would, in part, allow the town to see various leadership styles.