Charter petitioners forge ahead

Gloucester Hill Road resident Sharon Vandermay signs a charter petition on May 24. The group New Gloucester Citizens for a Town Charter is looking to obtain 587 signatures to get the question of whether to establish a town charter commission on the November ballot. Photo by Patti Mikkelsen

New Gloucester Citizens for a Town Charter is seeking approximately 200 additional petition signatures to get the question of whether to establish a town charter commission on the November 2020 ballot. A minimum of 587 signatures is required.

Speaking for the group, John Salisbury noted the hardship in obtaining signatures because of COVID-19 restrictions.

“This makes it much more difficult to obtain the required signatures by June 24, the submission deadline,” he said.

Salisbury added that he recently had a chance encounter with the current town manager of Poland, Matthew Garside, who remarked how important it was to have a town charter. The manager indicated he frequently referred to the document to help provide advice to Poland’s Board of Selectmen on local issues.

“It is much easier than having to search the state municipal statutes or call the Maine Municipal Association for advice,” Garside said.

An example of the dilemma the Board of Selectmen is currently having is what to do about holding a town meeting with the social distancing rule and stay-at-home orders. Salisbury said such an issue could be addressed in a town charter and not be dependent on a state legal ruling or executive order.

Any New Gloucester registered voters that have not signed the charter petition are urged to email Salisbury at jsalisbury@comcast.net or call Steve Hathorne at 210-5423 to arrange for a convenient time and place to get your signature. If you are willing to help circulate a petition for others to sign, notify one of them.

On Saturday, June 6, petitioners will have a table at the transfer station from 9:15 a.m. to 1 p.m. to provide an opportunity for townspeople to sign who have not already done so.

Salisbury said he wanted to “remind everyone that signing the petition only helps get the question of creating a town charter commission on the ballot. It is not a vote on a specific charter document.”

Spring Cleanup Week

The town’s Transfer Station, 264 Bald Hill Road, is hosting its annual Spring Cleanup Week next week: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 9; 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, June 11; 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, June 12.; and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 13.

Spring Cleanup Week allows New Gloucester residents to bring bulky waste items for disposal to the transfer station at no charge. A bulky waste sticker is not necessary. Stumps, leaves, pine needles, large drums or closed metal containers are not accepted at anytime. All types of oil, including clean waste oil, are accepted year round.

Patti Mikkelsen can be contacted at mikks@maine.rr.com.