An Act to Amend the Charter of the Wiscasset Water District
Maine Legislature, Session 131, LD 2104
Committee: Energy, Utilities and Technology
Sponsors: RENY, POLEWARCZYK, VITELLI, CRAFTS, HEPLER, STOVER

Legislative Document
No. 2104
S.P. 897
In Senate, January 3, 2024
An Act to Amend the Charter of the Wiscasset Water District
Approved for introduction by a majority of the Legislative Council pursuant to Joint Rule 
203.
Reference to the Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology suggested and ordered 
printed.
DAREK M. GRANT
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator RENY of Lincoln.
Cosponsored by Representative POLEWARCZYK of Wiscasset and
Senator: VITELLI of Sagadahoc, Representatives: CRAFTS of Newcastle, HEPLER of 
Woolwich, STOVER of Boothbay.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  P&SL 1983, c. 82, §1 is amended to read:
Sec. 1.  Territorial limits; name; purposes.  Subject to section 16, the inhabitants 
and territory within the Town of Wiscasset and existing customers in the Town of 
Woolwich as allowed by the final order in Public Utilities Commission Docket No. 85-8, 
dated January 17, 1985, shall constitute a quasi-municipal corporation under the name of 
"Wiscasset Water District" for the purpose of supplying the inhabitants of the district with 
pure water for domestic, sanitary, manufacturing and municipal purposes.  All incidental 
rights, powers and privileges necessary to the accomplishment of the main objectives set 
forth in this Act are granted to the Wiscasset Water District.
Sec. 2.  P&SL 1983, c. 82, §1, sub-§1 is enacted to read:
1.  Town of Edgecomb.  Pursuant to this section, the inhabitants and territory of the 
Town of Edgecomb are members and part of the Wiscasset Water District.
Sec. 3.  P&SL 1983, c. 82, §1, sub-§2 is enacted to read:
2.  Wastewater services; Edgecomb.  Pursuant to this section, the Wiscasset Water 
District may provide or contract to provide wastewater services to the Town of Edgecomb.
Sec. 4.  P&SL 1983, c. 82, §1, sub-§3 is enacted to read:
3.  Wastewater services; Wiscasset.  Pursuant to this section, the Wiscasset Water 
District may provide or contract to provide wastewater services to the Town of Wiscasset.
Sec. 5.  P&SL 1983, c. 82, §1, sub-§4 is enacted to read:
4.  Wastewater services; customers in Woolwich.  Pursuant to this section, the 
Wiscasset Water District may provide or contract to provide wastewater services to the 
district's existing customers in the Town of Woolwich.
Sec. 6.  P&SL 1983, c. 82, §8, first ¶ is amended to read:
Sec. 8. Board of trustees. All of the affairs of the district shall be are managed by a 
board of trustees composed of 5 members who are legal voters of the Town of Wiscasset, 
except that one member must be a legal voter of the Town of Edgecomb once the district 
expands service to include 1/3 of the legal residents of Edgecomb. Initially the trustees 
shall be chosen by the municipal officers of Wiscasset. Each trustee shall serve serves for 
a term of 3 years, except that the initial trustees shall serve the following terms: One trustee 
shall serve until the next March town meeting; 2 trustees shall serve until the 2nd March 
town meeting; and 2 trustees shall serve until the 3rd March town meeting after the initial 
trustees are appointed. At the first meeting, the initial trustees may determine by agreement, 
or failing to agree, they shall determine by lot the term of office of each trustee. The term 
of office of the trustees shall end ends at the annual town meeting held in March. Whenever 
the term of office of a trustee will expire expires at the next town meeting, a successor shall 
must be elected by secret ballot at the regular yearly municipal election to serve the full 
term of 3 years. In case any other vacancy arises, it shall must be temporarily filled by 
appointment by the selectmen members of the select board of the Town of Wiscasset, and 
shall must be permanently filled for the unexpired term at the next regular yearly town 
election. When any trustee ceases to be a resident of the Town of Wiscasset or of the Town 
of Edgecomb, with regard to the trustee who is a legal voter of the Town of Edgecomb, he 
that person vacates the office of trustee. 
Sec. 7.  Referendum; effective dates.  This Act takes effect when approved only 
for the purpose of permitting its submission to the legal voters within the Town of 
Wiscasset, the Town of Edgecomb and the Town of Woolwich at elections called for that 
purpose and held within 3 years of the effective date of this Act.  The elections must be 
called, advertised and conducted according to the law relating to municipal elections.  The 
registrars of the Town of Wiscasset, the Town of Edgecomb and the Town of Woolwich 
shall make a complete list of all eligible voters of the proposed district as described in 
sections 1 to 5.  The list prepared by the registrars governs the eligibility of a voter to vote 
in an election pursuant to this Act.  For the purpose of registration of voters, the registrars 
of voters must be in session the secular day preceding the election.  An election must be 
called by the municipal officers of each of the 3 towns named in this section and must be 
held at the regular voting places.  The residents of the Town of Wiscasset must be asked 
all 4 questions.  The residents of the Town of Edgecomb must be asked only the first 2 
questions.  The residents of the Town of Woolwich must be asked only the 4th question.  
The subject matter of this Act is reduced to the following questions:
1.  "Do you favor expanding the Wiscasset Water District's service 
territory to include the entire Town of Edgecomb?"
2.  "Do you favor expanding the authority of the Wiscasset Water District 
to allow the district to provide sewer service to the Town of Edgecomb?"
3.  "Do you favor expanding the authority of the Wiscasset Water District 
to allow the district to provide sewer service to the Town of Wiscasset?"
4.  "Do you favor expanding the authority of the Wiscasset Water District 
to allow the district to provide sewer service to the district's existing 
customers in the Town of Woolwich?"
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 municipal officers of the Town of Wiscasset, the 
Town of Edgecomb and the Town of Woolwich and due certificate of the results filed by 
the towns' clerks with the Secretary of State.
If the first question fails, section 2 does not take effect.  If the 2nd question fails, section 
does not take effect.  If the 3rd question fails, section 4 does not take effect.  If the 4th 
question fails, section 5 does not take effect.  If both the first and 2nd questions fail, section 
does not take effect.
This Act takes effect for all other purposes immediately upon its approval by a majority 
of the legal voters voting at the elections.  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 3 years of the effective date of this Act.
SUMMARY
This bill amends the charter of the Wiscasset Water District to expand the district's 
service territory to include the Town of Edgecomb and to allow the district to provide sewer 
service to the Town of Edgecomb and the Town of Wiscasset and to existing customers in 
the Town of Woolwich.  It also provides for representation of Edgecomb on the district's 
board of trustees once service is expanded to include 1/3 of the legal residents of 
Edgecomb.