WATERVILLE — The city is seeking three people interested in serving on the Charter Commission to join seven members who were elected Tuesday.
City Solicitor William A. Lee III said Thursday that those interested in being appointed must send letters of interest to the City Clerk’s Office by Nov. 27. The City Council is planning to appoint the three members at its Dec. 3 meeting.
“The City Council appoints three members,” Lee said Thursday. “Of those, no more than one can come from the council itself. The other two don’t have to be residing in the city of Waterville.”
Voters are asked every seven years, as required by the charter, whether a Charter Commission shall be established for the purpose of revising the City Charter or establishing a new charter. Voters on Tuesday decided 1,150 to 623 to establish the commission.
The commission is obligated to review the current charter, which serves as a local constitution that governs how the city operates. The commission receives input from the public as well.
“The mission of the Charter Commission is to review the charter and to make recommendations as to what changes, if any, should be made in the charter,” Lee said. “There’s no legal requirement that there be any changes, or that there be any substantive changes.”
Lee met Thursday with City Clerk Patti Dubois to discuss making the public aware the council will appoint three final members Dec. 3.
Voters in each of the seven city wards on Tuesday elected a commission member, with Cathy Weeks having been elected to represent Ward 1; Philippe Emile Tchekane Bofia, Ward 2; Lutie Brown, Ward 3; Hilary Koch, Ward 4; Julian Payne, Ward 5; R. Arthur Finch, Ward 6; and Ronald Merrill, Ward 7.
Those interested in being appointed to the commission should send letters to Dubois at Waterville City Hall, 1 Common St., Waterville, ME. 04901, explaining interest and qualifications, according to Lee.
He said commission members would likely hold their first meeting the second week in December.
“Patti’s going to be polling them to find a time when everybody can meet,” he said.
Commission members will determine their own schedule, according to Lee, who said it is possible the panel will create subcommittees to review certain parts of the charter and present findings to the whole committee.
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