Newcastle voters will consider amendments to the town’s land use ordinance, purchasing and bidding ordinance, and transient sellers and lunch wagons ordinance at the polls Tuesday, Nov. 7.
The Newcastle Board of Selectmen and the Newcastle Planning Board held public hearings on the changes Oct. 16 and Oct. 19, respectively.
For the land use ordinance, the selectmen have proposed an additional paragraph allowing for short-term residential rentals in all districts except for wildlife habitat. The rentals are subject to annual license approval by the town’s code enforcement officer.
The purchasing and bidding ordinance amendment consists of increasing the threshold that requires the town to request bids for a good or service from $5,000 to $25,000. The town would still have the option to request bids for smaller projects if desired.
Within the transient sellers and lunch wagons ordinance, the selectmen have proposed a change that states that any seller or wagon that has been in a fixed location for more than 365 days in a 730-day period must obtain a permit for the use as if it was a permanent structure. In addition, the amendment designates the town’s code enforcement officer as the enforcer of the ordinance.
The polls will be open at the fire station from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
