GORHAM – Gorham Town Councilor Matthew Robinson said Tuesday he would sponsor two items aimed at defining moral turpitude in a town provision that governs ousting a councilor.

He said the item would be included for the board’s May 6 meeting.

Robinson’s comments on Tuesday followed the operating-under-the-influence summons issued to Town Councilor Benjamin Hartwell last month. Hartwell’s court date has been set for May 14.

Hartwell, who serves on two council committees with Robinson, attended the Town Council meeting this week but didn’t speak about the matter.

One of Robinson’s items would trigger a Town Council discussion next month about moral turpitude and council rules. Robinson’s other proposal would ask town voters in November to approve a charter change defining moral turpitude.

According to the town charter, if a councilor is “convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude,” the councilor’s office would become vacant, but it’s not clear what constitutes moral turpitude.

“Ill bring it forward for voters to determine what is moral turpitude,” Robinson said.

There was no council discussion about the issue during the Tuesday meeting. Two years ago, another councilor’s summons for operating under the influence stirred heated arguing on the board. In 2012, Town Councilor Suzanne Phillips pleaded guilty to operating under the influence, but it did not lead to her dismissal from the Town Council.

– Robert Lowell