WARREN, Maine — The Warren Select Board has scheduled a public hearing for Sept. 16 on a municipal food sovereignty ordinance, but when a special town meeting will be held is undecided.
Molli Bennett, who has been the chief spokesperson for a group of residents who want such an ordinance, asked that the special town meeting be held as soon as possible.
The Select Board, however, debated on whether to hold off holding a special town meeting until January when it expects to also ask voters to consider tax increment financing proposals for a solar farm and the new Lincoln’s Country Store that is being built.
Bennett noted that delaying it until January would affect people who want to sell food at Christmas craft fairs. She also said the 25 people who have turned out at a previous meeting should be shown the same consideration as those who asked for the special town meeting held earlier this year to put a moratorium on data centers.
Select Board Chair Nik DeMaria said there was no disagreement that the draft food sovereignty ordinance is a good idea. He said it would be preferable to place the issue on a January one when the TIFs also would be considered.
Board member Wayne Luce said there is a cost to hold special town meetings, including public notices and staff time. He said residents want the town to spend as little money as possible.
Planner Dan DeBord suggested placing the matter on the November ballot. He said it was not worth the political capital by delaying a special town meeting.
Town Manager Sherry Howard said a November ballot question would be more expensive than a special town meeting since a municipal ballot would have to be printed.
Bennett said there would be many upset people upon learning the board was not scheduling the special town meeting as soon as the town could.
The public hearing, required before a town meeting can be held, will start at 6:15 p.m. Sept. 16. The location has not been determined. The fire department was mentioned as a possible alternative to the town office because of the expected number of people who may attend. By that date, the board will know from the staff what the cost of a special town meeting will be and it will determine when the special town meeting will be held.
The annual town meeting is held in June.
Bennett said a state law allows municipalities to approve food sovereignty laws. The proposed ordinance states, “The Town of Warren finds that its residents have historically fed themselves and their neighbors through small-scale farming, home food production, fishing, foraging, community suppers, fundraisers, and other traditional foodways, and that these practices strengthen the Town’s rural economy, food security, and community life.”
Bennett said without the law, the state could try to close down small farm stands or prohibit people from selling home baked items out of their homes.
Board member Jan MacDonald said these potluck suppers provide a “small town flavor that has been done for 300 years.” She said the town was making strides to be fiscally sound and socially responsible.
This story appears through a media partnership with Midcoast Villager.