RUMFORD — At a public hearing Thursday on the municipal budget, Selectman Frank DiConzo urged residents attending the June 1 town business meeting to refer the police coverage article to the secret ballot vote Tuesday, June 9.

The issue is one of nine articles to be decided at the June 1 meeting, which takes place at 7 p.m. in the Muskie Auditorium at Mountain Valley High School.

Article 7 asks voters if the town should enter into an interlocal agreement with  Mexico to contract for police services by the Oxford County Sheriff’s Department, subject to the approval of Mexico voters, and abolish the Rumford Police Department.

Town Manager John Madigan said the same article is going to be voted on in Mexico, “except we switch Mexico and Rumford.”

“Both towns have to approve it because the proposal was to serve both towns. There has not been a proposal, currently, to serve one town or the other. In summation, a ‘yes’ vote in both towns will eliminate both local police departments, with a contract for police services with the Oxford County Sheriff’s Office for coverage by the Sheriff’s Department. A ‘no’ vote will continue police services by the local police departments,” he said.

This is a business meeting article because the town charter stated that issues decided at a secret ballot were limited to “election of officers, ordinance amendments or the annual budget appropriation.”

But Madigan found a section of the charter that stated someone at the annual town business meeting can make a motion to refer a question to the secret ballot. If it’s approved, it would be up to the town clerk to make a paper ballot that would be presented at the polls.

Because the secret ballot vote will attract far more voters than the business meeting, DiConzo said, “Before this article goes up for vote, it should be moved to the secret poll vote.”

If this vote does get moved to June 9, Madigan said, he believes that people who have already voted absentee would still get a chance to file an absentee vote on this.

Brad Gallant, a Rumford police officer, said, “I asked (Town Clerk) Beth (Bellegarde) what the intention was if it was moved to June 9 and she stated that if someone picks up an absentee ballot prior to close of business June 1, she will have them fill out a request form for this information to be mailed to them or stating that they will come in to fill in anything that happens to get moved.”

On Article 9 at the business meeting, people will be voting on a request by Wow-Za! Ziplines, which had been meeting with the Board of Selectmen to discuss leasing three parcels of land along the Androscoggin riverbank so they can build a zip line park.

The lots are on a parcel north of Morency Park on the east side of the Androscoggin River, a parcel across from Rite Aid and a parcel near the town’s snow dump on Rumford Avenue.

Board of Selectmen Chairman Greg Buccina said, “Voting ‘yes’ will give the authority to the selectboard to lease the property to a zip line developer. So a lease will be worked out. There will be more questions answered and addressed as we go forward. This is just to get the process started. There’s been folks working on this for quite a few years and we’d like to give them the opportunity to proceed.”

Jim Rinaldo, a partner with Wow-Za! Ziplines, said, “If Wow-Za! Ziplines works out a deal with the town, we have to follow all the rules and regulations, permitting, shoreland zoning, whatever it is out there for anybody else, we couldn’t move forward unless all things are met.”

The zip line developers would be responsible for keeping a decommissioning fund and would restore the area to its previous conditions after the lease ends.

Madigan noted that the town is not liable for any entity that leases land from the town.

[email protected]