The Damariscotta Board of Selectmen, at a special, Oct. 4 meeting, voted 5-0 to place a town charter amendment before citizens for a November vote.
The amendment would give the board the authority to close the Damariscotta Police Department and contract for law enforcement and public safety.
Damariscotta Town Manager Matt Lutkus previously solicited a quote for 24/7 law enforcement from the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office. According to Lutkus, if voters approve the charter amendment, the town would negotiate a contract with the sheriff’s office.
The selectmen would then have the final authority to approve the contract or keep the police department.
The amendment would also give the board the option to negotiate with other agencies or with a private security firm, as Chairman David Atwater has pointed out.
The selectmen and Lutkus have been taking the legal steps necessary for a referendum since August.
At a series of public hearings about the proposed amendment, dozens of citizens and business owners came out to express support for the police department. The speakers, almost without exception, said the loss of the police department would result in a loss of services, a loss of local control and little, if any, long-term savings.
Some also said the charter amendment would take authority from the voters and transfer it to the Board of Selectmen.
