NEWRY — A food sovereignty ordinance, and 39 other articles, will be put before voters on Monday, May 15 at the Newry Town Meeting.
On Tuesday, May 2, Selectboard members, Mandy Berry and Tink Conkright and Chairman Gary Wight, met for a public hearing followed by a selectboard meeting. Also in attendance were Town Administrator Loretta Powers and Deputy Clerk Amy Henley. Eight people and one dog sat in the audience.
Planning Board member Ted Baker spoke before the board. He asked them to consider editing the proposed food sovereignty ordinance. He said, the ordinance and the state statute says “it must be ‘a person to person transaction.’ An unattended roadside stand,” said Baker, “would not be in compliance with the ordinance.”
Powers said, “that was not how I understood it.” She said they used Bethel’s and Greenwood’s food ordinances to craft their own ordinance, then sent it to the attorney who red lined it and returned it.
Baker said, “The [state] license is not a big deal. It is $25. and the state is very willing to help people make sure they are in compliance with that.”
A discussion ensued about the ordinance. “This is relating to food articles?” asked resident Bruce Pierce, “If I am selling wood it doesn’t apply?”
“Not unless it’s edible,” said Baker.
“Somebody might eat wood,” said Powers.
“The idea of food sovereignty is that state backs off so now the individual has the onus on them as to what they are purchasing [from the roadside seller]. The state wants to make sure the person can see where the products are coming from … .
“This ordinance does not allow for baked goods to be sold at The Grange Hall during a craft show unless that person is licensed by the state and meets the state licensures,” continued Baker.
Conkright asked if he could put his 20 extra cucumbers out by the road. Baker said “yes”, unless you decide to pickle them and then sell them.
Baker said a sign at the point of sale, saying the products being sold are not from a licensed facility should remain in the ordinance. The town lawyer had suggested not to mention it.
The board felt they should put the ordinance before the town, partly because there was little time for a second public hearing. They voted unanimously to leave it in the warrant, as is. If the townspeople don’t like the wording they can vote it down, was the consensus.
They closed the public hearing and began the selectboard meeting.
First up was a short discussion about the assessed values of personal property owned by Keith Durgin. He had been granted a 45-day extension. Powers said the matter will be finalized by June 1.
They voted not to join Community Resilience Partnership, deciding that it would not be beneficial to the town.
Newry Deputy Road Commissioner Joelle Corey came to the table to discuss a road study by the town and Sunday River Ski Resort, “the state would get involved eventually. To start it would be Newry and the ski resort. We have eight to 10 days a year right now that are big traffic concerns and they also affect another community … we don’t have a baseline. I don’t have any records here that we’ve ever had a traffic count.”
She said the study would include public roads and Sunday River’s roads. “They [Sunday River] offered to pay for this outright,” said Corey but she and Powers felt it should be a joint study.
Responding to the group’s discussion about possibly including a larger group of stakeholders for the traffic study, Corey protested saying for now it should be the town and Sunday River, “As much as our neighbor would like to claim Sunday River, it’s not in their town.”
As the rain raged outside, she said, “We’re going to float away anyway,”
Corey said Dana Bullen, president of Sunday River, had earlier visited town office to say ‘do it.’
They made a motion to give Corey approval to continue with a road study.
Other business
In her report, Henley said they had a good outcome sending people postcard reminders to pay their taxes. “We sent out 300 and we are down to 131 [left to pay].”
She said the new Town Report was at town office and will be published on the town Facebook page, too.
Powers said a joint selectboard meeting had been postponed.
She said Maine Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) applications were available for anyone who had sustained more than $3,800 in storm damage.
Bruce Pierce and Tink Conkright were reappointed as forest fire wardens for Newry.
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