OXFORD — A municipal committee will determine whether any changes to the mass-gathering ordinance are needed, and will also work on a proposal for a moratorium on medical marijuana dispensaries.

Selectmen voted unanimously to form an ordinance committee to address the two issues, with Town Manager Michael Chammings, Chief Scott Hunter of the Oxford Fire Department, Planning Board member Walter Mosher, and Chief Jon Tibbetts of the Oxford Police Department named as participants.

The mass-gathering ordinance was put in place in 1988 following the large Grateful Dead and Monsters of Rock concerts at the Oxford Plains Speedway. Town Clerk Ellen Morrison said that a review of the ordinance was deemed necessary due to its age. She said the town would also take into account any concerns raised by the four-day Nateva Festival, which took place over the Fourth of July weekend and attracted over 8,000 concertgoers.

Only one complaint was filed with the town regarding the concert: A man who works a night shift said he was having difficulty sleeping during the day due to the event. Chammings said the town would be interested in working with Norway on matters regarding the Oxford Fairgrounds. A dispute arose in the days leading up to the festival after Norway said organizers had not approached the town in accordance with their festival ordinance to discuss the use of a piece of land owned by Norway and used by the festival for camping.

Chammings noted Thursday how no residents raised issues during the selectmen’s meeting, the first held since the festival’s conclusion.

“Overall, we’re extremely happy with it and we’ll welcome them back next year,” he said.

The mass-gathering ordinance is designed to regulate events expected to draw large numbers of people so they don’t “pose a threat to the health, safety, and welfare of the community.” It requires organizers to assure the town that they will have the appropriate means to address issues such as traffic, security and sanitary facilities.

Last month, voters approved a number of amendments to the ordinance. These included a requirement that emergency medical services from Oxford Rescue or another agency approved by the Oxford Fire Department should be available, as well as a section regarding the issuance of annual permits.

Morrison said the moratorium ordinance regarding medical marijuana dispensaries would allow a 180-day period for selectmen to work on regulations related to the dispensaries, such as regulations on where such dispensaries could be established. She said the town has not received any applications for dispensaries, but did get an inquiry from an out-of-town resident about whether the town would allow one.

Voters passed a question last November approving the establishment of dispensaries to distribute medical marijuana to people with valid prescriptions for the drug. The state limited the number of licenses to be issued in the first year, and has already awarded some of them.

Both the moratorium and changes to the mass-gathering ordinance would need to be approved by voters in a special town meeting.

[email protected]