MEXICO – Selectmen on Wednesday agreed to place a proposed ordinance on the June ballot that would allow changeable signs in town. They also set a time for considering the elimination of smoking at the recreational center and recreation park.

Scott Galbiati, representing the Oxford Federal Credit Union, appeared before the board to request the addition to the ballot so that the sign’s messages could change more quickly.

He said the sign, located at the end of the access driveway to the credit union along Route 2, had displayed a variety of messages and images until the Maine Department of Transportation told them that such signs weren’t allowed unless the town had a specific ordinance governing it.

The ordinance would allow two-second timing and scrolling of messages, but no pictures or animation. The ordinance has already been approved by the Planning Board.

Town Manager John Madigan said residents will have a chance to vote on the ordinance on June 12.

If approved, he said the town would be responsible for enforcing the allowable images on the sign. The town must also notify the MDOT.

“If bells and whistles show up again, we’d have to take action,” he said.

Following a presentation by Savannah Palmer and Lauren Thurston of Students Working Against Tobacco, requesting a smoking ban at the two town recreation facilities, the board agreed to consider the request at its next meeting on April 11.

“We’re worried about kids who go to the park about secondhand smoke, lighted butts. Kids could try smoking,” Palmer said.

The group, which operates under the River Valley Healthy Communities Coalition, would provide the town with no-cost signs indicating that the areas were smoke-free.

Smoking is already prohibited inside the recreation building, but not outside. Neighboring Rumford has also banned smoking from all of its parks.

In other matters, the board:

• agreed to change Hill Street to one-way heading down, beginning at the Far East Restaurant’s delivery entrance.

• donated $100 toward the cost of a Vietnam Veterans memorial to be dedicated on May 19 in Rumford.

• donated $100 to a Mountain Valley High School group of students that is traveling to Louisiana to help Hurricane Katrina victims during the April vacation.