An Act to Create the Guilford-Sangerville Utilities District
Maine Legislature, Session 131, LD 1692
Committee: Energy, Utilities and Technology
Sponsors: GUERIN, WHITE, HARRINGTON, POULIOT

Legislative Document
No. 1692
S.P. 679
In Senate, April 18, 2023
An Act to Create the Guilford-Sangerville Utilities District
(EMERGENCY)
Reference to the Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology suggested and ordered 
printed.
DAREK M. GRANT
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator GUERIN of Penobscot.
Cosponsored by Representative WHITE of Guilford and
Senators: HARRINGTON of York, POULIOT of Kennebec.
Emergency preamble.  Whereas, acts and resolves of the Legislature do not 
become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and
Whereas, the residents of the Town of Guilford and the Town of Sangerville are in 
immediate need of forming a joint utility for the purposes of cost savings and rate 
stabilization; and
Whereas, in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within 
the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as 
immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now, 
therefore,
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  Territorial limits; corporate name; purposes. The inhabitants and 
territory within the Town of Guilford and the Town of Sangerville, and existing customers 
of the Guilford-Sangerville Water District in the Town of Parkman, in the County of 
Piscataquis, constitute a public municipal corporation under the name of "Guilford-
Sangerville Utilities District," referred to in this Act as "the district," for the purpose of 
supplying the inhabitants of the district with pure water for domestic, sanitary, 
manufacturing and municipal purposes and to construct, maintain, operate and provide the 
sewers with all their appurtenances.
Sec. 2.  Source of supply.  The district, for the purposes of its incorporation, is 
authorized to take, collect, store, hold, divert, use, flow, detain and distribute water from 
any lake, pond, stream or river and from any surface or underground brook, spring or vein 
of water in the Town of Guilford and the Town of Sangerville and from any other source 
from which the Guilford-Sangerville Water District is now authorized to take water, 
including sources outside the Town of Guilford and the Town of Sangerville.
Sec. 3.  Powers; authority; duties.  The district has all the powers and authority 
and is subject to all the requirements and restrictions provided to a water district in the 
Maine Revised Statutes, Title 35-A, chapter 64 and a sewer district in Title 38, chapter 10.
Sec. 4.  Number of trustees.  The board of trustees of the district is composed of 5 
trustees. Three trustees must be appointed from the Town of Guilford and 2 trustees must 
be appointed from the Town of Sangerville. A trustee must live within the municipality the 
trustee is appointed to represent.
Sec. 5.  First board.  The first board of trustees of the district is appointed by the 
municipal officers of the Town of Guilford and the municipal officers of the Town of 
Sangerville. The terms of the first board are governed by the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 
35-A, section 6410 and Title 38, section 1036.
Sec. 6.  Terms of trustees.  After the appointment of the first board of trustees of 
the district, trustees are appointed to 3-year terms.
Sec. 7.  Acquisition of property; assumption of debts.  The district, through its 
trustees, shall acquire by purchase in accordance with this section all of the plants, 
properties, assets, franchises, rights and privileges of the Guilford-Sangerville Water 
District and the Guilford-Sangerville Sanitary District, including, without limitation, lands, 
buildings, waters, water rights, springs, wells, reservoirs, tanks, standpipes, mains, pumps, 
pipes, machinery, fixtures, hydrants, meters, services, tools, equipment, apparatus and 
appliances used or useful in supplying water for domestic, commercial, industrial and 
municipal purposes and shall, by appropriate instruments, assume, in accordance with this 
section, all of the outstanding debts, obligations and liabilities of the Guilford-Sangerville 
Water District and the Guilford-Sangerville Sanitary District, including, without limitation, 
the assumption of any outstanding bonds, notes or other evidences of indebtedness of the 
Guilford-Sangerville Water District and the Guilford-Sangerville Sanitary District that are 
due on or after the date of transfer.
Sec. 8.  Transfer of contracts, permits and licenses.  All contracts between the 
Guilford-Sangerville Water District and the Guilford-Sangerville Sanitary District and any 
person, firm or corporation that are in effect on the date of acquisition pursuant to section 
are assumed and must be carried out by the district. All permits and licenses held by the 
Guilford-Sangerville Water District and the Guilford-Sangerville Sanitary District that are 
in effect on the date of acquisition pursuant to section 7 are assumed by the district.
Sec. 9. Approval of Public Utilities Commission.  The sale and transfer by the 
Guilford-Sangerville Water District to the district of its plants, properties, assets, 
franchises, rights and privileges and the assumption by the district of the 
Guilford-Sangerville Water District's outstanding debts, obligations and liabilities and the 
subsequent use of the plants, properties, assets, franchises, rights and privileges by the 
district within the limits of the district are subject to the approval of the Public Utilities 
Commission under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 35-A, Part 1.
Sec. 10.  Emergency clause; referendum; effective date.  In view of the 
emergency cited in the preamble, this Act takes effect when approved only for the purpose 
of permitting its submission to the legal voters within the Town of Guilford and the Town 
of Sangerville at a referendum called for that purpose and held after May 1, 2023, but within 
years after the effective date of this Act. The referendum must be called by the municipal 
officers of the respective towns and must be held at the regular voting places. The 
referendum must be called, advertised and conducted according to the law relating to 
municipal elections. The registrars shall make a complete list of all the eligible voters of 
the proposed district as described in this Act. The list prepared by the registrars governs 
the eligibility of a voter. For the purpose of registration of voters, the registrars of voters 
must be in session the regular workday preceding the referendum. The subject matter of 
this Act is reduced to the following question:
"Do you favor creating the Guilford-Sangerville Utilities District and 
permitting the Guilford-Sangerville Utilities District to acquire the assets 
and assume the liabilities of the Guilford-Sangerville Water District and 
the Guilford-Sangerville Sanitary 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 municipal officers of 
the Town of Guilford and the municipal officers of the Town of Sangerville, and due 
certificate of the results filed by the clerks 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 
each town voting at the referendum. 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 2 years after the effective date of this Act. If, after May 1, 
2023, but prior to approval of this Act, a referendum on the question specified in this section 
is held in accordance with this section and a majority of the legal voters of each town voting 
at the referendum casts votes in favor of the question and due certificate of the results are 
filed with the Secretary of State, this Act takes effect when approved. 
Emergency clause.  In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this legislation 
takes effect when approved.
SUMMARY
This bill establishes the Guilford-Sangerville Utilities District, pending voter 
referendum.