By Kelly Morgan,Staff Writer

OXFORD – Voters took decisive action at a special town meeting Monday when approving a moratorium on methadone clinics.

About 50 voters unanimously approved an Emergency Moratorium Ordinance that was drafted in response to news that a for-profit methadone clinic may locate in the area.

The associated company, Discovery House, has spoken with officials about opening a clinic in Norway or Oxford.

The vote came almost immediately after the 6:30 p.m. meeting was called to order at the town office.

“That must be historical,” moderator Ron Kugell commented before the building emptied at 6:45 p.m.

Resident John Palmer raised one point of concern before the moratorium passed, pointing out that an item in the fifth section of the document should have stated “selectmen” instead of “town council.” Voters approved the amendment and did not discuss the moratorium further.

Oxford Board of Selectmen Chairman Floyd Thayer said he was hoping Monday’s meeting would go quickly. The town’s intent was to get the moratorium in place so residents may consider enacting restrictions on where or how such a business may be operated. “Until this, there was really nothing in place,” he said.

The next step, Thayer said, is for the selectmen to form a committee to study the issue.

Selectman Scott Owens said he expects the Oxford Planning Board to be involved with the committee because it would enforce any resulting ordinance.

Included in a packet given to the public Monday were copies of the proposed moratorium, sections of Maine law that apply to moratoriums, and correspondence from the Growth Council of Oxford Hills.

According to the correspondence, on June 10, Brett Doney of the Growth Council sent a “weekly highlights” e-mail that stated, “The Growth Council worked with Discovery House which will locate a drug rehab facility in Oxford, filling vacant space in the office building at the intersection of Routes 26 and 121.”

On June 20, Growth Council Vice President Barb Olson sent a second e-mail titled “Correction: Discovery House.”

Olson wrote that in Doney’s e-mail “there was an error regarding our work with Discovery House, a drug rehab facility.”

“This client has expressed interest in locating in Oxford, but has NOT made any decisions to do so,” Olson wrote. “We are not involved in any way to recruit this company to come to Oxford Hills, but were contacted by the property owner of the location that they have looked at.”

Olson said the council’s “advice to the client was to make contact with the towns, police, hospital and others to see if there was support for their project.”