Anti-Pandora’s Boxxx group threatens recall of councilors

BREWER – Neighbors Against Pandora’s Boxxx, a local group that opposes the adult video store on South Main Street, is threatening to recall certain Brewer city councilors for their positions on the controversial matter.

Like their city sister of Bangor, where a recall effort was started last month over funding for a baseball stadium, some Brewer residents say they will watch closely how city councilors vote at a meeting next week.

If councilors “approve the city solicitor’s recommendation to allow Pandora’s Boxxx to operate in our neighborhood,” the recall petition effort will be started, according to a press release issued Tuesday night. “The opening of the porn shop has shown us how councilors have taken a very defeatist attitude. We feel that the councilors with defeatist attitudes should be replaced,” the press release says.

The group is urging citizens to attend the next Brewer City Council meeting at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 12. The group, will be accompanied by an attorney and will attempt to speak at the meeting, a gesture that doesn’t appear to rattle City Council members.

“I don’t work well with threats,” said Mayor Gail Kelly, one of the councilors eyed for a recall effort. She said the recall report “is adding fuel to the fire” and was not helping officials who are trying to rework certain ordinances “so something like this doesn’t happen again.”

“Bring it on,” said Councilor Larry Doughty, another councilor earmarked for possible recall efforts based on his support of the city attorney’s recommendation.

Doughty called the recall news “a form of intimidation by this group that has had its 15 minutes of fame, and it looks like they’re looking for more fame.”

But Neighbors Against Pandora’s Boxxx leaders say they’re simply pleading for some consideration in a matter that affects them greatly. They want the City Council to take more time in its deliberations.

“We would like more time to be able to look at this before the Council settles,” said Theresa Ayotte. “We’re saying to the Council ‘don’t let it go and let people suffer here in South Brewer.'”

To start a recall effort, registered voters of Brewer must sign a petition at the city clerk’s office. When the signatures have been gathered, the city clerk will keep the petition on file for 30 days and allow people to sign it. A total of 500 signatures of registered voters who voted in the last city election must be obtained to force a recall vote. Petitions must be made out for each city councilor the group wishes to recall, according to the city charter. The same voter may sign more than one of the recall petitions.

Sporting about 1,500 members from Brewer and other communities, Neighbors Against Pandora’s Boxxx stages informational pickets outside the porn shop three days a week. They recently marched to a City Council meeting and members spoke for more than an hour on their concerns about the business that they feel threatens their children and their neighborhood. Now, the group has retained an attorney and is getting more strident in its efforts to keep the issue in the public eye.

They are very concerned that Brewer will settle a lawsuit filed against the city by Pandora’s Boxxx owner, Northshore Distributing Inc. The lawsuit, alleging violations of First Amendment rights, was targeted as a loss if the city pursued it, according to their attorney. The loss could mean payouts of more than $500,000 to the plaintiff – money that would come out of taxpayers’ wallets.

“I can understand why they would consider economics if the fight had no merit,” said Theresa Ayotte. “But it does have merit.”

If the council approves a settlement Tuesday, it basically will mean the business will be “grandfathered and will be tougher than ever for us to get it out,” Ayotte said.

She and her husband claim the City Council is buckling under pressure from big city attorneys.

“They’re [the City Council] afraid to enforce their own laws,” Ayotte said.

Reactions of City Council members ranged from spirited to resigned at the possibility of a recall. Most said the financial aspects of the matter influenced their decision.

Councilor Manley DeBeck said he may vote for a settlement but it will be a difficult choice. “If that agreement looks good for residents and it doesn’t cost the city, I’ll vote for it,” said DeBeck. He said he is relying on current efforts to rework city ordinances to prevent similar occurrences.

City Councilor Joe Ferris said the group had a “right to recall us” but he added the City Council “is trying to do what is best for the entire city. We know this isn’t a very good solution, but we have an experienced counsel.

“I haven’t heard anything to say we can prevail here. The only thing I’ve heard is we’ll spend a lot of money and not win and that doesn’t make sense. If we could prevail, we’d fight them,” Ferris said.