APPROVED CHAPTER
APRIL 9, 2024 22
BY GOVERNOR P & S LAW
STATE OF MAINE
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IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD
TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-FOUR
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S.P. 897 - L.D. 2104
An Act to Amend the Charter of the Wiscasset Water District
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. P&SL 1983, c. 82, §1 is amended to read:
Sec. 1. Territorial limits; name; purposes. Subject to section 16, the The
inhabitants and territory within the Town of Wiscasset shall constitute and the Town of
Edgecomb constitute a quasi-municipal corporation under the name of "Wiscasset Water
District" for the purpose of supplying the inhabitants of the district with pure water for
domestic, sanitary, manufacturing and municipal purposes. All incidental rights, powers
and privileges necessary to the accomplishment of the main objectives set forth in this Act
are granted to the Wiscasset Water District.
Sec. 2. P&SL 1983, c. 82, §1, sub-§1 is enacted to read:
1. Additional powers; water supply. The district is authorized to supply water to
existing customers in the Town of Woolwich as allowed by the final order in Public
Utilities Commission Docket No. 85-8, dated January 17, 1985. The district may also
supply water to residents in the Town of Woolwich who are located outside the territory of
the district to the extent permitted under and in accordance with applicable laws and rules
and subject to approval by the Public Utilities Commission if required by the Maine
Revised Statutes, Title 35-A.
Sec. 3. P&SL 1983, c. 82, §1, sub-§2 is enacted to read:
2. Additional powers; contracting with Wiscasset Wastewater Department. The
district is authorized to contract with the Town of Wiscasset for the management, oversight,
operations and billing related to the functions of the Wiscasset Wastewater Department.
Sec. 4. P&SL 1983, c. 82, §8, first ¶ is amended to read:
Sec. 8. Board of trustees. All of the affairs of the district shall be are managed by a
board of trustees composed of 5 members, 4 members who are legal voters of the Town of
Wiscasset and one member who is a legal voter of the Town of Edgecomb. Initially the
trustees shall be chosen by the municipal officers of Wiscasset. Each trustee shall serve
serves for a term of 3 years, except that the initial trustees shall serve the following terms:
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One trustee shall serve until the next March town meeting; 2 trustees shall serve until the
2nd March town meeting; and 2 trustees shall serve until the 3rd March town meeting after
the initial trustees are appointed. At the first meeting, the initial trustees may determine by
agreement, or failing to agree, they shall determine by lot the term of office of each trustee.
The term of office of the trustees shall end a trustee ends at the annual town meeting held
in March for the town of which that trustee is a legal voter. Whenever the term of office of
a trustee will expire expires at the next town meeting for the town of which that trustee is
a legal voter, a successor shall must be elected by secret ballot at the regular yearly
municipal election for the town of which that trustee is a legal voter to serve the full term
of 3 years. In case any other vacancy arises, it shall must be temporarily filled by
appointment by the selectmen members of the select board of the Town of Wiscasset with
regard to a trustee who is a legal voter of the Town of Wiscasset or of the Town of
Edgecomb with regard to the trustee who is a legal voter of the Town of Edgecomb, and
shall must be permanently filled for the unexpired term at the next regular yearly town
election for the town of which that trustee is a legal voter. When any trustee ceases to be a
resident of the Town of Wiscasset with regard to a trustee who is a legal voter of the Town
of Wiscasset or the Town of Edgecomb with regard to the trustee who is a legal voter of
the Town of Edgecomb, he that person vacates the office of trustee.
Sec. 5. Transition; trustees in office. Trustees of the Wiscasset Water District in
office on the effective date of this Act may continue in office for the remainder of their
terms. Notwithstanding Private and Special Law 1983, chapter 82, section 8, as amended
by this Act, a legal voter of the Town of Edgecomb must be the successor to the trustee
who is a legal voter of the Town of Wiscasset whose term expires first after the effective
date of this Act or whose position is otherwise vacant prior to the expiration of that trustee’s
term. In the event that a trustee who is a legal voter of the Town of Wiscasset vacates that
trustee's position prior to the expiration of that trustee’s term and before the election of the
first trustee who is a legal voter of the Town of Edgecomb, the vacancy must be temporarily
filled for the unexpired term by appointment by the members of the select board of the
Town of Edgecomb of a trustee who is a legal voter of the Town of Edgecomb.
Sec. 6. Referendum; effective dates. Except as provided in section 7 of this Act,
this Act takes effect when approved only for the purpose of permitting its submission to
the legal voters within the Town of Wiscasset and the Town of Edgecomb at elections
called for that purpose and held within 3 years of the effective date of this Act. The
elections must be called, advertised and conducted according to the law relating to
municipal elections. The registrars of the Town of Wiscasset and the Town of Edgecomb
shall make a complete list of all eligible voters of the proposed district as described in
Private and Special Law 1983, chapter 82, section 1, as amended by this Act. The list
prepared by the registrars governs the eligibility of a voter to vote in an election pursuant
to this Act. For the purpose of registration of voters, the registrars of voters must be in
session the secular day preceding the election. An election must be called by the municipal
officers of each of the 2 towns named in this section and must be held at the regular voting
places. The subject matter of this Act is reduced to the following question:
"Do you favor expanding the Wiscasset Water District's service territory
to include the entire Town of Edgecomb?"
The voters shall indicate by a cross or check mark placed against the word "Yes" or
"No" their opinion of the same.
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 The results must be declared by the municipal officers of the Town of Wiscasset and
the Town of Edgecomb and due certificate of the results filed by the towns' clerks with the
Secretary of State.
This Act takes effect for all other purposes immediately upon its approval by a majority
of the legal voters voting at the elections. Failure to achieve the necessary approval in any
referendum does not prohibit subsequent referenda consistent with this section, as long as
the referenda are held within 3 years of the effective date of this Act.
Sec. 7. Effective date; Woolwich customers and contracting with Wiscasset
Wastewater Department. Sections 2 and 3 of this Act take effect for all purposes 90
days after the adjournment of the Second Regular Session of the 131st Legislature.
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