FARMINGTON — With a small voter turnout and few comments or questions, a special town meeting to approve several ordinance changes took about 12 minutes on Tuesday evening.

Less than 15 people attended the meeting, including the five on the Select Board.

Resident Aileen Kennedy asked what the adoption date for the Licensing Ordinance was as it was not included in the warrant article regarding changes to motor vehicles for hire.

While Selectman Stephan Bunker attempted to find the date, Selectman Joshua Bell noted licenses for taxi cab drivers would no longer be approved for anyone convicted of murder, manslaughter or Class A, B, or C crimes against a person at any time.

Resident John Moore asked if that would include Uber, Lift and other drivers.

Uber and Lift drivers must complete background checks, they are pretty strict on that, Town Manager Erica LaCroix noted. She spoke of having applied to be a driver and being denied for having one unresolved speeding ticket.

“So, it is easier to become a town manager,” said Paul Mills, who served as moderator.

Not knowing when the current ordinance was adopted would not stop a vote on the current changes, Mills noted. The date may not have been known when the warrant article written, he stated.

Voters approved those changes then ones in the Zoning Ordinance regarding solar energy system performance standards.

Prior to proposed changes being approved in the Special Amusement Ordinance, Bell noted there might be additional changes proposed at a later date because there had been very limited enforcement.

Another change removed references to victualers and incorporated revisions to sections dealing with definitions, licenses required and fees and renewals in an ordinance regarding innkeepers, tavern keepers and lunch wagons. Victualers are regulated by the state and thus do not require yearly operating licenses from the town, it was noted in the statement of fact included with the warrant article.

Changes to Subdivision and Site Review ordinances were necessary due to an amendment to the State’s Planning and Land Use Regulation laws that went into effect July 1 requiring a long-term affordability covenant for affordable housing developments.

During the Select Board meeting held prior to the town meeting, the board:

• Accepted a donation from Bunker of a Safe Pace Evolution 15 Traffic Alert sign, valued at $3,411, for the Police Department.

• Approved the PEG (Public, Educational and Government) and franchise fees for Mt. Blue Community Access TV. Last year’s amount was $7,500 for PEG and $40,243 franchise totaling $47,743. The amount this year is not known yet but should be within a couple thousand dollars, Director Andre Cormier stated.

• Renewed the on-premises liquor license for Tuck’s Ale House.

• Canceled the Dec. 26 Select Board meeting.

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