HARRISON – Selectmen asked Town Manager Michael Thorne to draft a new curfew ordinance at their meeting Tuesday.

“The existing one needs to be upgraded in order to be enforceable,” said Susan Searles-Gazza, chair of the board. “Some of it’s kind of antiquated.”

The town’s current curfew ordinance was adopted in 1980. Since the ordinance’s adoption, state laws that are referenced in it have been changed, and the new ordinance will have to reflect those changes.

Another inconsistency that will need to be addressed is that the ordinance states “a policeman of the town shall take the minor to the police station.” Harrison has neither a police force of its own nor a police station.

In addition to these changes, selectmen wish to create one curfew that will apply to all minors. The current ordinance sets a curfew of 10 p.m. for minors aged 11 or younger, 10:30 p.m. for minors 12-13 years old, and 11 p.m. for minors 14 years old or older. For all minors, the curfew ends at 6 a.m.

Selectman Scott Andrews told the board that he felt it would be too difficult to enforce three different curfews. “Kids will need to carry IDs,” he said, unless the curfew applies to minors of all ages.

Searles-Gazza recommended a curfew of 11 p.m. for all minors. “In this day and age we’ll be lucky to be able to do something at 11,” she said. “That’s early for some of these kids.”

Selectman Don Woolley pointed out that the ordinance does not differentiate between school nights and weekends. Andrews wondered if an exemption for Old Home Days should be included in the ordinance. Searles-Gazza explained that the town manager could suspend the curfew during the town’s Old Home Days celebration.

Having reviewed curfew ordinances from the towns of Bridgton, Lisbon and Standish, the board recommended a fine of $100 and 10 hours of community service for a first offense and $500 for a second offense, with 25 hours of community service. They felt that parents should be held accountable for making sure that offenders comply with their penalties.

Thorne will present the redrafted curfew ordinance to selectmen at their Oct. 5 meeting. The board will then hold a public hearing to discuss the ordinance and finally bring it to a town meeting for a vote.

Searles-Gazza asked the board on behalf of the Bicentennial Committee to extend the town limited commercial district to include Crystal Lake Park. An extension of the LCD would make it easier to place the gazebo and temporary ice house that the committee hopes to build for the town’s bicentennial celebration. The issue will be brought to a special town meeting at the next selectman’s meeting.

The board set the 2004-05 property tax rate at $13.92 per $1,000 of valuation.