Entering the voting booth on Nov. 4, residents of Yarmouth and North Yarmouth will find the following question on their municipal ballot: “Do you favor repealing and replacing the charter of the Yarmouth Water District?”

Eric Gagnon, general manager of the Yarmouth Water District, said the new version of the charter will simplify the document, modernize its language and update the processes it dictates.

“It’s cleaning up our charter,” said Gagnon. 

The Yarmouth Water District serves Yarmouth, parts of North Yarmouth, and a sliver of Cumberland. Incorporated in 1923, the quasi-municipal organization’s charter has been amended six times since, including in 1990, when sections of North Yarmouth were added to its service area, and most recently in 2011.

Due to these various changes, in order to understand the complete requirements of the district charter, one currently has to read seven different private and special laws. Repealing and replacing the charter would bring all the requirements together into one cohesive document, said Gagnon.

The referendum also serves to update the language of the charter, which dates back to its origin in 1923 and updates in 1949 and 1957. The replacement charter would include that the water district now also manages treatment plants and the technology needed to monitor and control modern water systems. The charter would also be updated to reflect changes in laws such as the Freedom of Access Act.

Additionally, the proposed new charter updates the trustee election process to reflect contemporary practices. The current charter requires that for an election, a district meeting is called by any five persons who are entitled to vote. However, as no such meeting has been called in decades, the trustees of the water district — four from Yarmouth and one from North Yarmouth — are elected at municipal elections via nomination papers and a secret ballot. The new charter will update the election process to match this reality, which is the standard for water districts in Maine.

An act for the changes to the charter first went through the Maine Legislature before reaching municipal voters as a referendum. After Gagnon testified on behalf of the changes before the Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology this spring, the act was signed by Gov. Janet Mills.

The final step for the changes to go into effect is approval from Yarmouth and North Yarmouth voters. The Yarmouth Water District will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, Oct. 15, at 6 p.m. to discuss the changes with residents who wish to attend.