RUMFORD — A citizen petition requesting a special town meeting for a moratorium on the sale of the town’s water was submitted to the Board of Selectmen on Thursday night.

It came a day after Rumford Water District trustees voted to begin negotiations with Poland Spring Water Co. about drawing water from the Ellis River watershed.

Len Greaney of the Western Maine Water Alliance presented the board with the petition with the required 30 signatures.

“Until now, the Rumford voters have been denied the right to vote their opinion regarding the sale of their water,” he said. A moratorium vote at the special town meeting will “turn the tide toward voter rights, their essential constitutional right.”

Greaney said that during a moratorium, the Water District, with Poland Spring’s parent company, Nestle Waters North America, “will need to compete against those who represent the will of the voters.”

He said petitioners plan to create a Rumford water price ordinance for submission to selectmen in February.

Greaney proposed that in a referendum in June, “the Rumford voters will decide if entertaining a contract with an international corporation is good or bad for our town.”

After receiving the petition, board Chairman Jeff Sterling said the signatures will be verified by Town Clerk Beth Bellegarde and then given a legal review. He said the town charter states the board must take action on a legal petition within five days, so the board will meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday in Rumford Falls Auditorium to act.

In other business:

• Sterling announced selectmen will meet with the Planning Board and town attorney at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 18, in Rumford Falls Auditorium to begin drafting a marijuana ordinance. Townspeople voted overwhelmingly Nov. 21 to approve an ordinance establishing a 180-day moratorium on retail marijuana establishments and retail marijuana social clubs.

• The board approved Police Chief Stacy Carter’s recommendation to appoint Norman Lewis of Newry as a reserve police officer. Lewis, retired after 27 years with the Maine Warden Service, is certified as an officer. In response to a question from Selectman Jim Windover, the appointment will help alleviate some of the overtime as a result of the department being down two officers.

• Carter said the dispatch window at the police station will be closed from Jan. 23 to Feb. 3 because the officer will be away for training.

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