MEXICO – Two proposed amendments and an ordinance will go before people attending a public hearing at 6 p.m. Wednesday, but only one should generate considerable discussion at the town office conference room.

The amendments fix deficiencies in the land management ordinance; the secret ballot ordinance allows voters to possibly tinker with a document that would switch town meeting voting to referendum-style balloting at the poll.

The land management rules lack provisions for nonconforming lots on the dimensional requirements page.

The first amendment creates a minimum lot size/density of between 5,000 and 7,500 square feet, with water and sewer. Additional bulk and space standards would require a minimum of 50 feet of road frontage, a minimum 25-foot front setback, 15-foot minimum side and rear setbacks, and a maximum structure height of 45 feet.

The second amendment would give people, per request and approval by planners and abutters, a variance for 6-foot side and rear setbacks on nonconforming lots.

The town meeting ordinance would:

• Provide a reasonable comprehensive plan to smoothly transition between open town meeting and referendum town meeting.

• Clarify, classify and consolidate the number and make-up of appropriation articles to be voted by secret ballot.

• Enable continued funding of existing municipal services – without unnecessary disruption – should an appropriation article not be approved.

• Reduce the number of articles to be voted upon by giving municipal officers the authority to act on routine administrative matters instead of voting on them annually at town meeting.

In June, a majority of town meeting voters OK’d a citizen-initiated referendum question to conduct secret-ballot voting on all town meeting warrant articles. Selectmen then handed the matter off to the Planning Board to draft an ordinance, with input from both selectmen and the Referendum Committee.

Members of the committee had diligently worked to put the measure before town meeting voters, often clashing with selectmen and Town Manager John Madigan at nearly every board meeting. That discord continues to flare up through letters to the editor in local newspapers and at nearly every selectmen’s meeting.