FARMINGTON – A decision by the Board of Selectmen to prohibit any political actions or projects on town properties is on hold and not being enforced, pending a legal opinion from the Maine Municipal Association, executive secretary Linda Grant said Friday.

The board adopted the policy, which prohibits obtaining petition signatures with the exception of those outside the voting polls at the Community Center. It also bans placement of campaign signs on town property.

Town Manager Richard Davis drafted the policy Tuesday in response to complaints about the way signatures were collected at Monday night’s Old Crow Band Concert in Meetinghouse Park. Although the item was not on the board’s Tuesday night agenda, he apologized for raising the issue under “other business” but suggested a policy was needed and some guidelines need to be in place.

The town should remain neutral and town properties should be neutral, Davis said. The board agreed that town sidewalks remained “fair game” and petition signatures can be collected on private property or at businesses with the owner’s approval.

Some selectmen thought performers should be able to give concerts at the gazebo without interference. Others wanted to take a more cautious approach to adopting the policy. The vote was 3-2 to adopt it.

The petitioner, Elaine Graham, said Friday that she was at the concert collecting signatures to get the gay marriage law on the November ballot in Maine. She said the effort requires thousands of signatures in a short time. She wanted to be sure other petitioners would know they could continue for now by asking for signatures at town properties, she said.