The Anson Board of Selectmen finalized proposed changes to the town’s mass gathering ordinance Tuesday ahead of a public hearing and a special town meeting in December.

The proposed changes to the ordinance come after a landowner proposed holding a bluegrass music festival on Four Mile Square Road, Town Administrative Assistant Tammy Murray said.

A public hearing on the ordinance changes is scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Anson Town Office, and a special town meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 8, at Garret Schenck Elementary School.

In addition to the mass gathering ordinance, residents also will be asked at the special town meeting to appropriate up to $40,000 to cover unanticipated legal and auditing fees the town accrued this year in connection with an investigation into the disappearance of $438,712 in excise tax money at the Town Office. Former Tax Collector Claudia Viles is awaiting trial on charges of theft and other offenses in connection with the missing money.

“There are quite a few outdated aspects of the ordinance, so it’s just updating those,” Murray said of the proposed changes to the mass gathering ordinance. The name of the person proposing the music festival was unavailable Wednesday.

The ordinance regulates gatherings of more than 500 people with the exception of athletic fields, stadiums or other facilities that already are equipped to handle large crowds.

Under the current ordinance, a bond or security deposit of at least $5,000 is required for all mass gatherings, but the proposed changes would amend that requirement to apply only to gatherings in public spaces.

The current ordinance also does not allow mass gatherings at night, but the new ordinance allows for nighttime mass gatherings as long as at least 40 square feet per person is provided for camping.

There are also proposed changes to the safety and medical requirements at mass gatherings, including a requirement that the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office be allowed to determine the number of officers needed at a mass gathering. The current ordinance states that at least 15 officers are required at any gathering to assist in crowd and traffic control.

The current ordinance also requires that organizers notify area hospitals of the mass gathering, whereas the proposed changes would require notification only to the Anson-Madison-Starks Ambulance Service.

“The way it’s written now, the ordinance kind of deters (mass gatherings) from happening,” said Arnold Luce, chairman of the Board of Selectmen. “But we haven’t had a lot of issues with mass gatherings, so I think it makes sense to amend some of the stuff that’s in there.”

Murray said Wednesday that the mass gathering ordinance dates to around 2003.

In addition to the proposed changes, the Board of Selectmen also is recommending that the town appropriate up to $40,000 to pay for unanticipated legal and auditing fees generated during an investigation into the absence of $438,712 in excise tax money.

At the Town Meeting in March, the town budgeted $8,000 for auditor’s fees and $2,000 for legal fees.

As of Wednesday, it had spent $48,843 on auditing and legal fees in 2015, according to Murray. A total of $37,225 of that comes from auditor’s fees. Luce said Wednesday the town does not expect to generate any more costs in 2015 for legal or auditor’s fees.

Of the more than $400,000 the town is missing in excise tax fees, it has been able to recover $250,000, the maximum allowable under their insurance policy with the Maine Municipal Association. Luce said the board is recommending that the money to pay for the additional legal and auditor’s fees come from the insurance payout.

Rachel Ohm — 612-2368

rohm@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @rachel_ohm

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