DIXFIELD — The Board of Selectman was told Monday night that a new police officer has been hired through the federal community policing grant program.
Chief Richard A. Pickett introduced Dustin Broughton of Rumford to the board, saying he would be a credit to the community and staff. He said Broughton's first day on the job would be Wednesday.
The new position was created after the Dixfield Police Department was awarded a federal Community Oriented Policing Services grant to fund it for up to three years.
Broughton had been a Mexico Police Department officer for approximately five years before he resigned in 2010.
Pickett said Broughton had been at Husson University to continue his education in criminology before applying for the position in Dixfield. Broughton has also served the town of Dixfield as a reserve officer.
The board was pleased to learn that Broughton was already certified as a police officer and the town would save by not having to send a new hire to the Maine Criminal Justice Academy in Vassalboro.
Also during the meeting, Dan McKay of Dixfield asked if the board had intentions of moving forward with a wind ordinance he presented last month.
McKay said if the board wasn't going to take action, he would start a petition to have the ordinance placed on the ballot in June.
"I would rather have it go to the people, to petition it and have it vote on," he said.
Town Manager Eugene Skibitsky advised the board and McKay that he believed because the town had already voted on the issue of drafting a wind ordinance, selectman may not have to honor a petition on the matter.
McKay said he believes it is still an important issue and since the previous town vote many citizens have educated themselves about wind projects.
McKay said he hopes to hold multiple informational meetings about the ordinance during the petition process so others can educate themselves about wind power.
Selectmen Norine Clarke and Steve Donahue questioned if McKay had received legal help when writing the ordinance. McKay said he had not but would, if needed.
Clarke and Donahue had previously drafted an ordinance and said the time and funding for the project was high due to a need for legal advice.
Selectman Malcolm Gill said if he was to support any wind ordinance, it would be the one Clarke and Donahue had drafted.
McKay was also asked if there was a committee that helped to create the ordinance. He said he was the sole author but he had received help from various persons and had conducted a large amount of research on the topic.
The board decided to take no action and to allow McKay to start a petition.
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The right for a citizen to
The right for a citizen to vote by written ballot shall never be over-ruled by a select few. Gill, once, signed a petition while seeking election for selectman and stated such.
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Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.windsprawl
If Dan McKay has written an ordinance, the town should look it over. Selectman Gill should not pass judgement without at least looking it over. Protecting the citizens is job 1.
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I too thought a citizen could petition over and over....but I guess only the gays can.
Carthage voters voted in an illegal vote for a moratorium at 42 - 48 .
I asked James Cassida of DEP how to stop the permit process. He said "any town , at any time can put a moratorium in place."
Not Carthage, the lawyer called it "redundant". I guess Maine municipal Association agrees.
So no re-vote for Carthage.
Dixfield , on the other hand, never voted on a WIND ordinance.
They voted on zoning.
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Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.Do We Live in a Democracy?
Skibitsky advises the "selectman may not have to honor a petition on the matter." Huh? Unless the Town Charter or some state law prohibits petitioning on a subject matter that might have been considered in some other way, what prohibits the ridents of a town from putting a matter to a vote vis petition? The last time I looked, we still live in a democracy and part of the rights of citizens is to petition their government! At the local level, it is called Home Rule. Let Mr. McKay present a proposed ordinance and do a petition drive to put the matter to a vote of the registered voters of Dixfield.
As far as the ordinance itself goes, there are a number of well contructed and legally vetted municipal ordinances oassed by dozens of other Maine communities for Mr. McKay and others to draw from. Change the name of the town and delete or add specifics to the town and that's about it. The remarks from the Selectmen and the Town Manager in this regard indicate that there is a pre-disposed attitude in favor of wind companies amongst them. Which makes it that much more important to allow the citizens to decide a matter that can have a drastic community altering consequence.
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voted on the issue???
http://www.sunjournal.com/river-valley/story/936589
The citizen petition called for banning any development above the elevation of 1,000 feet on Colonel Holman and Sugarloaf mountains except for logging and communication towers.
narrowly defeated by a vote of 487-543.
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