By Nate Jones

Staff Writer 

The South Portland City Council took the first step in creating an Energy and Recycling Committee on Monday by unanimously approving a first reading of the new order. 

“It’s another attempt at increasing the recycling efforts of our community,” Conservation Commission member Barbara Dee said.

While all councilors agreed on the creation of the committee, which must be formed in accordance with the U.S. Conference of Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, the council was divided in several decisions concerning its structure. 

Originally the ordinance called for a 13-member committee with one non-voting representative from the public works department and another from the school department, two voting positions from landlord or property management companies, two from the business community and one voting representative from each of the seven district councilors. After voting on four different amendments to the ordinance, one potential committee position was denied and four of the existing seats were eliminated. 

Liz Cidel, a member of the Cool Cities group, introduced grounds for the first amendment to the ordinance when she expressed the organization’s desire to have a single voting seat on the new committee. 

Councilor Claude Morgan said it was “a clear advantage to be in alignment with such an obviously organized group” after Cidel pointed out the national ties Cool Cities has, including the Sierra Club and the American Lung Association.

Councilor Tom Blake said it was rare for an organization to show such a desire to be involved. Even though the proposed committee would allow members from landlord or property management companies as well as the business community, the council “hadn’t seen anyone else stepping forward to fill their spots,” he said. 

Other councilors disagreed with incorporating Cool Cities into the new committee, as they opposed placing interested parties on an otherwise council appointed committee.

“It’s like saying Fairchild Semiconductor should have a spot on the planning board,” Mayor Jim Soule said.

The amendment failed with a 2-5 vote, leaving Blake and Morgan in the minority.

“This could be a missed opportunity and I think we’re making a mistake,” Morgan said.

The conversation concerning the Cool Cities amendment sparked the second amendment motioned by Councilor James Hughes to remove voting rights from landlord or property management company and business community representatives. 

“It’s not fair to have community members voting on a committee,” Hughes said. “They need to be appointed by council members.”

Councilor Maxine Beecher said she was skeptical any non-voting members would be actively involved with the committee by pointing out her own priorities.

“If I don’t vote I probably won’t be coming,” she said.

Other councilors shared Beecher’s point of view.

“When you can’t raise your hand and say ‘yay or nay’ you don’t want to come to the table that much,” Blake said.

Soule suggested the landlord and business representative seats be struck from the committee completely, which Blake and Morgan both said they thought was an odd suggestion given the goals of the committee.

“We don’t want to shut ourselves out from the expertise that’s there,” Blake said.

Morgan said he had trouble understanding removing the landlord and business community member positions from the committee and not allowing members from the public works and school departments voting rights.

“It’s all strange and queer to me,” he said.

The motion eliminating the four positions passed 5-2, with Blake and Morgan again in the minority.

Another two amendments followed, one adding a three-year term to the committee positions and another adding voting alternates in case of committee absences. Both passed unanimously.

“Some wise decisions have been made here,” Morgan said.

The committee will not be officially formed until the council passes the amended ordinance again at a second reading and public hearing scheduled for April 7.