Hallowell will swear-in three new councilors during its inauguration ceremony Tuesday at the City Hall Auditorium.

Lynn Irish, Maureen Aucoin-Giroux and Kara Walker were elected in November and will take the oath with incumbent Lisa Harvey-McPherson to form the City Council’s first female majority in more than a decade.

Hallowell City Councilor Alan Stearns, right, listens to Mark Walker's inaugural speech in 2014 after being sworn in as the city's mayor. Stearns opted not to run for re-election and will be replaced on the council by Lynn Irish, while Walker will give another mayoral address Tuesday night. Staff file photo by Andy Molloy

Walker defeated longtime councilor Phil Lindley in the race to represent Ward 3 in central Hallowell. Irish, who represented Ward 2 for two years until 2015, ran unopposed for an at-large seat vacated by Alan Stearns, who did not seek re-election. Aucoin-Giroux, the city’s former code enforcement officer and interim city manager, ran unopposed for the seat representing Ward 1. Kate DuFour did not take out papers seeking re-election. Harvey-McPherson represents Ward 5.

The new and returning councilors will immediately tackle several issues facing Hallowell, including the Stevens Commons redevelopment, the 2018 Water Street reconstruction project, the need for increased downtown parking and the future of the city’s fire protection services.

At the Jan. 9 council meeting, the council is expected to discuss and possibly decide on how to package bond issues related to all those projects.

Stevens Commons owner and developer Matt Morrill has asked the city for more than $600,000 to help with infrastructure repairs to the 54-acre campus on Winthrop Street, and the city has requested more than $500,000 to assist the Maine Department of Transportation with the Water Street project.

The new council may also decide on whether to impose a moratorium on marijuana-related businesses and social clubs, like many other municipalities have done in response to the legalization of recreation marijuana, which was legalized in November and affirmed earlier this month after a recount requested by opponents was withdrawn.

In other inaugural business, Mayor Mark Walker will give the annual State of the City address. Walker said his remarks will focus on the dramatic changes happening in Hallowell. The city has had four city managers since September 2015 and has a new city clerk and code enforcement officer along with the changes on the council.

Walker said there are big decisions to be made in the coming months regarding borrowing for the Water Street reconstruction, whether to put public money into the private Stevens Commons development and what to do with the city’s fire department.

Walker and City Manager Nate Rudy will make annual appointments at the end of the ceremony, some for the last time. The new Hallowell charter, which was approved in November, changed the way some positions are appointed, like the police and fire chief. Beginning in 2018, those positions won’t be reappointed each January. They will be handled by the city manager under normal employment practices.

Fire Chief Mike Grant, who has served Hallowell for more than two decades, has announced his retirement and agreed to remain on an interim basis until a decision is made about the city’s department. If Hallowell decides to retain its department, Rudy would conduct a search for a new fire chief.

Planning Board member Dan Davis, who also is the city’s harbormaster, is stepping down and will be replaced by Drew Landry, who served as an alternate on the board, Walker said. Davis is married to incoming councilor Kara Walker.

Jason Pafundi — 621-5663

jpafundi@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @jasonpafundiKJ

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