Whereas, the election of trustees of the Mount Desert Water District will occur before the end of the current legislative session; and

Whereas, the charter restrictions on the eligibility of trustees pose an immediate disturbance in the management of the district; and

Whereas, the water district must be managed consistently to provide for the health and safety of its customers; and

Whereas, in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now, therefore,

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:

Sec. 1. P&SL 1993, c. 83, §9, sub-§4 is amended to read:

4. Vacancy. Whenever the term of office of a trustee expires, the trustee's successor must be elected at large by a plurality vote by the inhabitants of the district. For the purpose of election, a special election must be called and held on the first Monday in May or on such other date in May as the trustees establish, the election to be called by the trustees of the district in the same manner as town meetings are called and for this purpose the trustees are vested with the powers of municipal officers of towns. The trustee so elected shall serve the full term of 3 years. If any vacancy arises in the membership of the board of trustees, it must be filled in like manner for the unexpired term by a special election to be called by the trustees of the district. When any trustee ceases to be a resident of the district, the trustee shall vacate the office of trustee and the vacancy must be filled as provided in this section. All trustees are eligible for reelection, but a person who is a municipal officer in the Town of Mount Desert is not eligible for nomination or election as trustee no more than 2 trustees may be municipal officers of the Town of Mount Desert.

Emergency clause. In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this Act takes effect when approved.