An Act To Amend the Chaiier of the Rumford Water District
Maine Legislature, Session 128, LD 0090
Committee Amendment CA_A_S54 (Senate)

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A "to S.P. 38, L.D. 90, Bill, "An Act To Amend 
the Chaiier of the Rumford Water District" 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the title and before the summary and 
inserting the following: 
'Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. P&SL 2015, c. 14, §3 is amended to read: 
Sec. 3. Board of trustees. All the affairs of the district must be managed by a 
board of trustees composed of 3 members who are residents of the district, to be ehe5ea 
elected by a majority of the municipal officers of the Tovm of Rumford plurality vote of 
the voters of the district. Nominations and elections of trustees and the process for filling 
vacancies on the board of trustees must be conducted in accordance with the Maine 
Revised Statutes, Title 3 5-A, section 6410, subsection 1. Notwithstanding the Maine 
Revised Statutes, Title 35-A, section 6410, subsection 5, the trustees shall when 
necessary elect a president, clerk, treasurer and all other officers and agents for the proper 
conduct and management of the affairs of the district. Trustees may adopt a corporate 
seal. The trustees shaJ-1. serve staggered 3-year te1ms, such that one trustee te1m ends each 
year. Notwithstanding Title 35-A, section 6410, subsection 4, the te1m of each trustee 
ends on the first Monday in August immediately following the end of the term for which 
that trustee was appointed; elected, except that a trustee shall serve until a successor is 
appointed elected. 
Whenever the term of office of a tmstee expires, the municipal 
officers of the Town of Rumford shall appoint a successor to serve the full term of 3 
years, and in case any other vacancy arises it must be filled in like manner for the 
unexpired term. The trustees may also adopt and establish such bylaws as are necessary 
for their own convenience and the proper management of the affairs of the district. The 
trustees may procure an office and incur such expenses as may be necessary. Each 
trustee is entitled to compensation, as recommended by the trustees and approved by a 
majority of municipal officers of the Town of Rumford, in accordance with Title 35-A, 
st;ction 6410, subsection 7. At the close of each fiscal year, the trustees shall make a 
detailed repmi of their doings, of the receipts and expenditures of the water district, of the 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to S.P. 38, L.D. 90 
water district's financial and physical condition and of such other matters and things 
pertaining to the district as demonstrate how the trustees are fulfilling the duties and 
obligations of their trust, such reports to be made and filed with the municipal officers of 
the Town of Rumford. 
Sec. 2. Appointed trustees. An appointed trustee of the Rumford Water District 
serving on the effective date of this Act continues to serve until the trustee's tenn expires 
or until the trustee vacates the position, whichever comes first. The trustee's successor 
must be elected in accordance with section 1 of this Act. 
Sec. 3. Referendum; effective date. This Act takes effect when approved only 
for the purpose of pennitting its submission to the legal voters within the Rumford Water 
District at a referendum called for that purpose and held within one year of the effective 
date of this Act. The election must be called by the board of trustees of the Rumford 
Water District and must be held at the regular voting place. The referendum must be 
called, advertised and conducted according to the law relating to municipal elections. The 
registrar shall make a complete list of all the eligible voters of the proposed district as 
described in this Act. The list prepared by the registrar governs the eligibility of a voter. 
For the purpose of registration of voters, the registrar of voters must be in session on the 
regular work day preceding the referendum. The subject matter of this Act is reduced to 
the following question: 
"Do you favor changing the process of selecting members of the board of 
trustees of the Rumford Water District from appointment by the Board of 
Selectpersons to election by a plurality vote of the voters of the district?" 
The voters shall indicate by a cross or check mark placed against the word "Yes" or 
"No" their opinion of the same. 
The results must be declared by the board of trustees of the Rumford Water District 
and due ce1iificate of the results filed by the clerk with the Secretary of State. 
This Act takes effect for all other purposes immediately upon its approval by a 
majority of the legal voters of the Rumford Water District voting at the election. Failure 
to achieve the necessary approval in any referendum does not prohibit subsequent 
referenda consistent with this section as long as the referenda are held within one year 
after the effective date of this Act.' 
SUMMARY 
This amendment is the majority report of the committee, and it strikes and replaces 
the bill. The amendment also removes the emergency status from the bill. It allows the 
trustees of the Rumford Water District to submit to the legal voters of the district the 
question of whether the charter for the district should be amended to require that the legal 
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voters of the district elect trustees, instead of having trustees appointed by the municipal 
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officers as the chmier currently requires. This amendment specifies that if a referendum is 
called it must be called, advertised and conducted according to the law relating to 
municipal elections. If the referendum is called and a majority of the legal voters vote to 
change the chmier to allow for the election of district trustees, the amendment contains 
transition language that allows the currently serving appointed trustees to finish out their 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to S.P. 38, L.D. 90 
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terms, and any unplanned vacancy is filled through the election process established in the 
Maine Revised Statutes, Title 35-A, section 6410, subsection 1. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT