This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
09/23/2020 08:30 AMDeep River’s voters will decide in November whether the town should create an ethics commission. The question, for which residents can respond “Yes” or “No,” was brought to the ballot by citizen initiative.
A citizen initiative requires the signatures of a certain minimum number of registered voters on a petition. In Deep River, that minimum is 200, according to Town Clerk Amy Macmillan Winchell.
Resident Brett Thompson, who helped lead the effort, said that the petition contains upward of 250 signatures from “places where people congregate, like the town transfer station. Others were collected by visiting people at home. There was no specific group that was targeted.”
“This was a nonpartisan effort that garnered broad support, regardless of affiliation,” he added.
If voters approve the ordinance on Nov. 3, a town meeting is required within 60 days to elect members to the commission. The creation of a code of ethics would also be required of the commission.
The ethics code would apply to “all officials, officers, employees, and personnel of the Town of Deep River, whether elected or appointed, paid or unpaid, including members of boards, committees, and commissions in the performance of their duties,” according to the ordinance. The code of ethics would also apply to persons conducting business with the Town of Deep River.
Thompson says that a draft code has been developed, based closely on the one that exists for the town of Essex.
“In creating the draft, a small group of residents met with the director of the State Ethics Commission to better understand best practices,” said Thompson. “The draft code was also reviewed by legal counsel. We hope the Deep River Ethics Commission will use this as a starting point for drafting the final version that will be presented to the town.”
The process for the citizen initiative was a lengthy one that required adherence to local and state regulations.
“The town clerk was helpful, but we ended up hiring legal counsel to be sure we were doing everything according to regulations,” said Thompson.
The Deep River Board of Selectmen (BOS) was not involved in the process.
“It was extremely important to us that this initiative be seen as coming from the grassroots and that it be free from the appearance of political influence,” said Thompson. “Petitioning a question onto the ballot is a legitimate process that is supported by state regulations. There is no requirement that the BOS be involved.”
Thompson spoke on the ordinance and its stipulations during the audience of citizens portion of the Deep River BOS meeting on Sept. 8, where he also asked for input on the matter from the selectmen. All three selectmen said that they hoped it was not being done for political purposes and expressed an interest in working together with the citizens of Deep River if the ordinance passes.
On election day, Nov. 3, the question will be printed on the front of the ballot with instructions to view the opposite side for the full text of the ordinance, according to Winchell.
The question and full text of the ordinance is now on display in the Town Clerk’s Office. It will also be posted on the town website, deepriverct.us/town-clerk.