The various boards, committees and authorities
are established to provide citizen oversight in specific areas of
Town affairs and to administer fairly certain ordinances for the betterment
of the community.
A.
Upon appointment or election, each member of any Town
board, committee or authority shall be required to take an oath of
office administered by the Town Clerk, who shall also be the custodian
of all appointments, oaths, resignations and records of removal of
members for any reason.
B.
The oath shall read as follows:
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"I, (name of member) do
swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States, and
of the State of Maine, so long as I shall continue a citizen thereof,
so help me God.
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I, (name of member) do
swear that I will faithfully discharge all the duties incumbent upon
me as a member of the (name of Board, etc.) according to the Constitution, laws of the State of Maine and ordinances
of the Town of Bethel, so help me God."
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signature
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A.
There shall be a seven-member Planning Board. Members
shall be appointed by the Selectmen for three-year staggered terms
commencing in January. Each member shall be a registered voter of
the Town of Bethel throughout his/her tenure on the Planning Board.
[Amended 6-13-2001; 6-13-2007; 6-11-2008]
B.
The Planning Board shall have such powers and perform
such duties as are provided by statute and Town ordinances.
C.
The Planning Board shall conduct its meetings, and
operate, in accordance with rules of procedure approved by the Selectmen.
A.
There shall be a five-member Board of Appeals. Members
shall be appointed by the Selectmen for three-year staggered terms
commencing in January. Each member shall be a registered voter of
the Town of Bethel throughout his/her tenure on the Board of Appeals.
B.
The Board of Appeals shall have such powers and perform
such duties as are provided by statute and Town ordinances.
C.
The Board of Appeals shall conducts its meetings,
and operate, in accordance with rules of procedure approved by the
Selectmen.
A.
There shall be a twelve-member Budget Committee. Members
shall be appointed by the Selectmen for three-year staggered terms
commencing in January. Each member shall be a registered voter of
the Town of Bethel throughout his/her tenure on the Budget Committee.
B.
The Budget Committee shall be empowered to review
proposed general fund budgets jointly with the Selectmen and make
recommendations to be printed following each of the various articles
of a Town Meeting warrant.
[Amended 6-14-2006]
C.
With the exception of personnel costs, the Budget
Committee shall be empowered to make recommendation on any proposed
general fund appropriation considered in any Town Meeting, regular
or special.
D.
The Budget Committee shall conducts its meetings,
and operate, in accordance with rules of procedure approved by the
Selectmen.
[Added 6-11-2003]
A.
There shall be a five-member Capital Improvements
Committee. Four of those members shall consist of the sitting Chairs
and Vice Chairs of the Board of Selectmen and Budget Committee. The
fifth member shall be known as the "at-large member" and serve at
the discretion of the Board of Selectmen. Each member of the Capital
Improvements Committee shall be a registered voter of the Town of
Bethel.
B.
The Capital Improvements Committee shall serve in
an advisory capacity and assist the Town Manager in developing a Capital
Plan which projects capital expenditures and related revenue sources
for a minimum of five years into the future.
C.
The Capital Improvements Committee shall meet at least
annually and always before March 1 of each year to review the Capital
Plan prior to its inclusion in the annual budget proposal submitted
by the Town Manager.
[Amended 6-10-2015; 2-13-2017; 6-9-2021]
A.
There shall be a seven-member Bethel Area Recreation
Board. Members shall be appointed by the Selectmen for three-year
staggered terms commencing in January. There shall be members from
the towns of Bethel, Greenwood, Newry and Woodstock; a majority of
members shall be from Bethel. All members shall be registered voters
of their respective towns throughout their tenure on the Board.
B.
The Recreation Board shall oversee recreational activities
occurring in the greater Bethel area and operate programs deemed to
serve the recreational interests of the greater Bethel community.
The "greater Bethel area" includes the towns and townships of the
Maine School Administrative District 44.
C.
The Recreation Board shall propose programs and corresponding
expenditures for consideration in the overall municipal budget submitted
by the Town Manager.
D.
The Recreation Board shall conduct its meetings, and
operate, in accordance with rules of procedure approved by the Selectmen.
A.
There shall be a five-member Board of Assessors. Members
shall be elected for three-year staggered terms by the registered
voters of the entire Town in the same election cycle utilized for
Selectmen. Each member shall be a registered voter of the Town of
Bethel throughout his/her tenure on the Board of Assessors. Vacancies
of the Board shall be filled by appointment of the Selectmen until
the next regular election of municipal officers.
B.
The Board of Assessors shall have such powers and
perform such duties as are provided by statute and Town ordinances.
A.
There shall be a five-member Conservation Commission.
Members shall be appointed by the Selectmen for three-year staggered
terms commencing in January. Each member shall be a registered voter
of the Town of Bethel throughout his/her tenure on the Conservation
Commission.
B.
The Conservation Commission shall carry out activities
and serve as the advisory body for the protection, development and
use of natural resources located within the corporate boundaries of
Bethel.
[Amended 6-13-2001]
C.
The Conservation Commission shall be authorized to investigate potential acquisition of land, or land interests, consistent with its charge described in Subsection B. All such acquisitions shall be subject to approval by the Selectmen and subject to Town Meeting approval.
D.
The Conservation Commission shall conducts its meetings,
and operate, in accordance with rules of procedure approved by the
Selectmen.
[Amended 6-13-2001; 6-15-2005]
A.
There shall be a five-member Airport Authority. Members
shall be appointed by the Selectmen for three-year staggered terms
commencing in January. Each member of the Airport Authority shall
be a registered voter of Bethel or other municipality or territory
located within Oxford County. In the event the number of members
of the Airport Authority is changed by Town Meeting action, then the
Board of Selectmen shall be authorized to appoint and remove members
of the Airport Authority at its sole discretion in order to comply
with this section.
B.
The Airport Authority shall determine the minimum
standards for operation of the Bethel Regional Airport (hereinafter
called "Airport"). The Airport Authority shall also be responsible
for the development of overall policies and long-term plans for operation
and development of the Airport. The Town Manager, as Airport Manager,
shall be responsible for implementation of these standards, policies
and plans.
C.
The Airport Authority shall conducts its meetings,
and operate, in accordance with rules of procedure approved by the
Selectmen.
[Added 1-30-2013[1]; amended 6-15-2016]
A.
There shall
be a five-member Bingham Forest Advisory. One member shall be a member
of the Bethel Water District Board of Trustees and selected by that
Board. The remaining four members shall be considered at large and
shall be appointed by the Selectmen for three-year staggered terms
commencing in January. Each member of the Bingham Forest Advisory
shall be a registered voter of Bethel or Newry. No more than one member
shall be from the Town of Newry. In the event the number of members
of the Bingham Forest Advisory is changed by Town Meeting action,
then the Board of Selectmen shall be authorized to appoint and remove
members of the Bingham Forest Advisory at its sole discretion in order
to comply with this section.
B.
The Bingham
Forest Advisory shall determine the minimum standards for proper management
of the Bingham Forest. The Bingham Forest Advisory shall also be responsible
for the development of overall policies and long-term plans for operation
and development of recreational amenities in the forest, subject to
review and approval by the Board of Selectmen. The Town Manager, as
Bingham Forest Manager, shall be responsible for implementation of
these standards, policies and plans.
C.
The Bingham
Forest Advisory shall conduct its meetings, and operate, in accordance
with rules of procedure approved by the Selectmen.
A.
There shall be a three-member Bethel Water District
Board of Trustees as authorized in "An Act to Incorporate the Bethel
Water District" of the Private and Special Laws of Maine, 1967. Members
shall be appointed by the Selectmen for three-year staggered terms,
commencing in January.
B.
The Board of Trustees shall operate in accordance
with previously referenced legislation and other applicable statutes
and state/federal regulation.
[Amended 6-14-2006]
A.
The nature and extent of the Town's participation
in the Channel II Commission shall be at the discretion and pleasure
of the Selectmen. The Selectmen shall be authorized to enter into
agreements governing this participation.
B.
Appointment of members to the Channel II Commission
shall be made by the Selectmen.
[Added 6-11-2003]
A.
There shall be a five-member Ordinance Review Committee.
One member shall be a member of the Board of Selectmen and selected
by that Board. A second member shall be a member of the Planning Board
and selected by that Board. The remaining three members shall be considered
at-large and serve at the discretion of the Board of Selectmen. Each
member of the Ordinance Review Committee shall be a registered voter
of the Town of Bethel.
B.
The Ordinance Review Committee shall be charged with
ongoing review of Town ordinances. The Ordinance Review Committee
shall, from time to time, make recommendations for ordinance amendment,
enactment and repeal, all as needed. The Ordinance Review Committee
shall serve in an advisory capacity to the Board of Selectmen.
A.
The Selectmen shall be empowered to establish ad hoc
committees of varying membership for the purpose of investigating
subjects and activities of municipal interest.
B.
The following must be identified at the time of establishment
of any ad hoc committee: membership of committee, charge of committee,
and date of final report of committee, which shall not exceed one
year from formation.
