LYMAN — Petitions seeking a town-wide vote to recall Selectman Norman Hutchins were delivered to Town Clerk Pauline Weiss Wednesday.

Roland Nadeau, one of the organizers, said his motivation in seeking to recall Hutchins is because of the lawsuit Hutchins and Selectmen Chairman Leo Ruel filed on behalf of the town against the third selectman, town employee Steve Marble, who operates the municipal transfer station.

“We want a new selectman that can stop the lawsuit. That’s my sole purpose,” in being involved, said Nadeau. “To stop the lawsuit.”

The town’s attorney, Bill Dale, has said the two offices are incompatible; Ruel and Hutchins concur.

“You’ve got to understand Norm has been in office a long time,” said another of the organizers, Ed Sanborn. “The last time a recall was attempted there were a lot of reasons. This time its being (fueled) by the lawsuit. That’s the straw that broke the camel’s back.”

Hutchins, for his part, said he’s done nothing wrong, and the lawsuit is an attempt to resolve the situation of a town employee also being a selectman.

“We’re not taking Steve to court, but the position,” said Hutchins. “There’s nothing wrong with Steve. We feel strongly the offices are incompatible.”

Hutchins said if everyone in Lyman believed the lawsuit shouldn’t have been filed, he might feel differently about it, but said the group who wants the suit withdrawn is small in number.

Earlier this week, at a special meeting Hutchins and Ruel cast preliminary votes to reject a citizen petition that would rescind the $18,000 legal budget approved at Town Meeting. Ruel said the board is required to make a formal vote on the issue in a regularly scheduled session and will do so Sept. 6.

Hutchins, a selectman for 11 years, believes the group calling for his ouster now is the same group that pushed for a recall ordinance a few years ago. At that time there was an attempt to recall all three selectmen ”“ Hutchins included ”“ but that attempt failed.

And, he added, this time the board was “more or less threatened” with recall by Nadeau at a selectmen’s meeting when Nadeau, Hutchins said, asked if the lawsuit would be stopped, and if weren’t, there would be a recall effort.

“It is very evident they’re singling me out ”¦ I’ve done nothing wrong,” said Hutchins in a telephone interview Thursday. “I’ve served the town well and kept taxes down.”

His current selectmen’s term is set to expire June 30, 2012.

Weiss on Wednesday said 183 signatures of registered voters are required to meet the terms of the recall ordinance. Weiss must certify the signatures within 10 days of receiving the petition and, pending certification, will present the petition to selectmen Sept. 6.

According to the recall ordinance, once the petition has been certified, selectmen have 10 days in which to order a secret ballot election, to be held not less than 45 days or more than 60 days thereafter.

Weiss on Wednesday said the recall question could be put to voters Nov. 8.

If selectmen refuse to order an election, according to the recall ordinance, the town clerk shall do so.

If the individual whose recall is sought requests a public hearing, one will be scheduled, the ordinance states.

Sanborn said all the petition does is bring the matter to the voters, who will have the final say.

“We’re bringing this to the people for a town-wide vote,” said Sanborn. “I see no harm in that. If he stays, so be it.”

Hutchins said he realizes the positions he takes don’t always please everyone.

“But this is a slap in the face,” he said.

— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 324-4444 or twells@journaltribune.com.