Council Corner
By Mary Kate Barbosa
During the June 8, 2010 election, Caribou voters were asked “Shall a Charter Commission be established for the purpose of revising the Municipal Charter or establishing a new Municipal Charter?” By a margin of 780-700, citizens affirmed that they want to form a Charter Commission for the purpose of a careful review of the current municipal charter, which could result in a final written proposal ranging from minor revisions to a complete redrafting of the existing charter.
The first step in the process is establishing the nine-person membership on the Charter Commission. According to law, the City Council is responsible for choosing the three appointed members to the Commission who may be residents or non-residents of the city; only one of these may be a municipal officer. On Monday, June 28, the Council met and appointed Patricia Collins, John Swanberg and David Martin to the Commission.
Patricia Collins has a depth of community and governance experience locally and statewide which will be invaluable to the Commission. In addition to her familiarity with the Charter as a former mayor of Caribou, she is uniquely qualified for this task as she served on the last Charter Committee convened to review the Charter in 1994.
John Swanberg brings his knowledge of city governance, experience on the Capital Improvements Plan Committee and understanding of the local business community to the Commission. He demonstrated his commitment to the City through his dedication and contribution to Caribou’s lauded 150th Celebration last year, and Council members feel that his neutral perspective will be an asset to Commission discussions.
City Councilor David Martin is the Municipal Officer appointment to the Commission. The Council is grateful for the willingness of these community-oriented people to serve on the Charter Commission and represent the interests of Caribou’s citizens and wishes to thank those who submitted their names for consideration.
The Council also reminds citizens that the voters of Caribou elect the remaining six positions on the Commission through the same process of any municipal officer. The City Clerk must make nomination papers available to prospective candidates for the Charter Commission during the 40 days prior to the filing deadline or 45 days prior to the election; nomination papers will, therefore, be available on August 9 to all interested candidates who are registered voters of the City of Caribou. Completed nomination papers, with 25 signatures of legally registered voters of Caribou, must be turned in no later than 5 p.m. on Sept. 17, 2010. This regular election will occur on Nov. 2, 2010, and the six candidates receiving the highest number of votes will serve on the Commission.
As always, City Council meetings are open to the public, and the next meeting is scheduled for Monday, Aug.16, 2010, at 7 p.m. in the council chambers on High Street. Questions can be directed to the City Manager at manager@cariboumaine.org.
