Update on community bill of rights ordinance
To the Editor;
During the first two weeks of January 2016, the Piscataquis Observer published ‘The Year (2015) In Review’ from which are taken the following relevant excerpts:
September: ‘’By a 4-3 vote (on Sept. 8), Dover-Foxcroft selectmen opted not to put a community bill of rights ordinance on the ballot, favoring instead to set a series of meetings with supporters of the measure to prohibit corporations and governments from engaging in acquisition of land for, or the siting of, private and public-private transportation and distribution corridors. The town had received a petition carrying over 300 signatures in favor of holding a secret ballot vote on the proposed ordinance. Later in the month (Sept. 14), the panel voted 4-2 to deny the request to put the CBR matter to a public vote.”
December: “Representing the committee that has been working on a community bill of rights for Dover-Foxcroft (on Dec. 7), Dr. Lesley Fernow addressed members of the town’s board of selectmen during a special meeting on the ongoing citizen-driven initiative to place a CBR ordinance question on the ballot. ‘Our goal is still to put an ordinance before the citizens for a vote. We look at it as a community rights issue.”, she said regarding ongoing private efforts to build a transportation/communications corridor through the region.’…
Throughout the year of 2015, there were other such reports in the Piscataquis Observer to inform the public about the work of the Dover-Foxcroft Community Bill Of Rights Team that was being persistently rebuffed by the SelectBoard. Other than the collection of the 319 signatures in the spring and summer of 2015, the Team never reached the phase of community outreach that includes informational meetings, letters to the editors and press releases by the citizen promoters of the ordinance. Rather, an ongoing desire by the majority of the Team kept the ordinance under wraps — in the singular interest of gaining, first, the approval of the town’s elected officials — while the public was being prejudiced against it by the stalwart negative reaction on the part of the town’s elected officials.
Since Dec. 7th, after two years and three months, the original Dover-Foxcroft Community Bill Of Rights Team is in dissolution due to the majority of its members having no further desire to enter into the next phase of this process which is, as permitted by law, re-collection of signatures to be submitted to a notary to call a special town meeting election referendum.
However, a few among that former Team’s members have re-grouped under a new name — the Dover Community Rights Action Team (DoverCRAT). Following a few weeks of administrative work, re-collection of signatures will be underway as we contact registered voters to read through and discuss the ordinance language together and request the voters to sign (or re-sign in the case of 319 Dover-Foxcroft voters) a new ordinance petition so the townspeople may finally vote, based on bill-of-rights language in our federal and state constitutions, for or against such a private industrial corridor that would irreversibly degrade, and perhaps utterly destroy, our town.
Let us establish in our town a healthy culture of direct democracy by taking on the work of citizen lawmaking for the future well-being of our communities. Maine’s Constitution and the U.S. Constitution allow for citizen lawmaking. We need to use all modes of democratic participation available to us so that both direct and representative democracy serves the people to the greatest affect.
Please consider getting involved by calling 564-8687. All our welcome. This is our moment to bring this effort to its rightful conclusion.
Sidney Mitchell, Dover-Foxcroft
Member of Dover Community Rights
Action Team
Secretary of Friends Of The Piscataquis Valley