Camden has seven articles on its municipal warrant for the Nov. 5 general elections, and one of them is a citizen’s initiative. 

Article 1 is to elect a moderator for the special town meeting, even though the questions will appear on a written ballot and be before voters at the polls.

Article 2 asks voters to amend the town code to allow residential use on the street level for multi-family dwellings in structures owned by a school administrative district.

 This question involves one piece of property, the old Elm Street School, which is currently being rented by the Children’s House Montessori School by School Administrative District 28 (Camden-Rockport K-8).

A shortage of workforce housing prompted School Administrative District 28 to convert the Elm Street School, on the corner of Elm and Union streets in Camden, to apartments for teachers by Fall 2027. If approved by Camden voters, the zoning change would enable a full three-story build-out of eight to 10 apartments.

Article 3 poses the addition of ordinance language that would require notification and reporting on the application of pesticides in Camden by state-licensed pesticide applicators.

The goal of the ordinance is to, "educate the community about the types of herbicides and pesticides being applied in the community, by requiring notification to abutters prior to the application of herbicides/pesticides by licensed applicators and requires licensed applicators to provide an annual report of the types and quantity of herbicides and pesticides applied in Camden," the town said.The ordinance, if approved, would require:1) a two-day advance written notice to the town's planning office of pesticide application by a licensed applicator, as well as direct abutters, and properties within 250 feet of application area, including those across public and private ways.2) The notice would include trade names and Environmental Protection Agency registration numbers of the pesticides to be used, as well as pests to be treated. The notice shall also provide a property sketch of the proposed application locations. The notice shall also include the name of the licensed applicator and contact information.

3) Prior to application, but at least 30 minutes before, the licensed applicator shall place and/or post warning signage or placards in conspicuous locations near abutting properties and near public and private streets or right of ways notifying the public and abutting property owners of imminent application of pesticides. 

4) There are enforcement stipulations attached to the ordinance, as well as an appeals process.

Read more about the pesticide ordinance here.

Article 4 asks voters for approval to transfer the balance of Camden’s American Rescue Plan Act funds to the municipal Wastewater Special Revenue Fund to pay for wastewater collection system improvements.

Article 5 asks the town to transfer the balance of tax increment financing district funds to the Wastewater Special Revenue Fund and the Stormwater Reserve Fund to pay for wastewater collection system improvements.

Article 6 asks voters to change the retirement plan for firefighters and police officers to Special Plan C. The town said this would align Camden with the majority of Maine municipalities (72) that already implement the 3C retirement plan.

Article 7 is a nonbinding advisory question that asks voters to consider the development of an Historic Preservation Code that would apply to properties in the town’s registered historic districts or are historic landmarks.

"The proposed code would not regulate interiors or scrutinize details like exterior paint, but it would aim to broadly preserve character and streetscape in the registered Historic Districts and Landmarks (Curtis Island Lighthouse; Camden Opera House; Camden Yacht Club; Camden Public Library; Camden Post Office; the Village Green; and the High Street, Great Fire, and Chestnut Street Historic Districts)," wrote the Camden Historic Resources Committee in an explanation of Article 7.

If approved, the Camden planning office, Select Board and Historic Resources Committee would work together with the public to draft a code.

Article 8 is the result of a citizen’s petition asking for a vote to encourage elected federal lawmakers to enact strong national climate policy in the form of  “cash back” carbon pricing, which would charge fossil fuel producers a carbon fee for every ton of CO2 pollution emitted by burning their products. The fee funds would be collected in a national carbon trust fund and be distributed regularly to American households as dividend checks.

To learn more about Camden's municipal warrant articles and for voter information, visit https://www.camdenmaine.gov/departments/elections