By Dawn De Busk

Staff Writer

NAPLES — Some residents in Maine municipalities, where the town meeting is how budgets are passed and ordinances are approved, believe that the special town meeting is for obscure issues at an off time of year.

That attitude is one that has been expressed by residents to a local selectman. 

Naples selectman Jim Turpin asked for an explanation as to why citizens should attend the Naples Special Town Meeting that takes place next Thursday, starting at 6 p.m. in the town gym.

“Chairman [Jim] Grattelo, could I get you to explain to the general audience just why it is we have a special town meeting at this time of year, which for many [people] seems to be an obscure time of year, and likely to be lightly attended,” Turpin said.    

Chairman Grattelo responded.

“Hopefully it’s not going to be lightly attended,” he said. 

“There are several moratoriums which the town has passed and that we need to extend. There are several ordinances that the ordinance review committee has been working on,” he said. 

“It needs to be well attended because” there are five warrant articles, he said.

“In particular, most of the town’s liquor licenses come up in the month(s) of March and April. So, it made no sense to wait until the town meeting in April to pass the [outdoor entertainment] ordinance, when everyone already had their liquor license approved and everyone would have to wait a whole year to adhere to the ordinance,” he said.

The ordinances have already had several public readings and the input of business-owners. 

“It is not going to be a long meeting,” Grattelo said. 

“But, it is a meeting that is very important to the direction of the town. We are trying to deal with issues that have come up in the past and this is the best way to do it,” he said.

Given the timeframes of the liquor license approval process, it made the most sense to schedule the special town meeting for Feb. 20.

“Hopefully, it doesn’t snow that night,” Grattelo added. 

Residents have been given the heads-up because the Town of Naples mailed off postcards.

“We did a postcard mailing to everybody so there is no reason to expect it won’t be well attended,” Turpin said.

Town Manager Hawley confirmed that.

“Every resident should have gotten a postcard in the mail a couple weeks ago, maybe even a month ago,” he said.