AUGUSTA -- Five months into their work, Charter Commission members still appear far apart on most substantive issues before them, most recently over the petition process for citizens to place items before voters.

In the meantime, City Manager William Bridgeo suggested a charter change Thursday to allow councilors to make exceptions to the charter's current requirements for the police and fire chiefs to live in the city.

The commission, which began meeting in December of last year, is required to submit its final report within 12 months of its formation and a preliminary report within nine months. The charter is essentially a constitution for the city.

Commissioner Richard Dumont suggested commission members prepare a summary of what issues they've worked on so far in their process for a planned June 5 public hearing, but Chairman Mark O'Brien noted commissioners haven't agreed on enough to put together such a document.

"It's hard to give direction as a group because we haven't agreed on anything," O'Brien said.

Early in their process, commissioners agreed to work through the charter in an initial read-through, and set aside any items upon which there was disagreement for debate and a decision later in the process. The items set aside have far outnumbered anything that's been resolved.

Commissioners anticipate completing that initial read-through at their next meeting, May 29, at 6:30 p.m. in council chambers at Augusta City Center.

The citizen petition issue, which is also currently the subject of a still-unresolved lawsuit against the city by a group of citizens, has been especially contentious for the commission.

Commissioner William Johnson, one of the citizens who filed suit over the city's handling of petitions, proposed removing provisions from the charter that provide for the City Council to vote whether to accept citizen petitions. Instead, he suggested the charter language be changed to direct councilors to issue petitions and order them to be printed. He also sought to strike charter language directing the city's attorney to review petition questions.

"I'm saying the City Council shouldn't have that authority," Johnson said.

Commissioner Don Roberts argued city officials have a responsibility to review proposed citizen initiatives and referendum questions to make sure they would not propose the city take illegal action.

Bridgeo, commenting as the commission began discussing charter language regarding administrative officers of the city, suggested allowing the City Council the option of voting to make exceptions to charter requirements the police and fire chiefs live in Augusta.

He also recommended the city manager be designated in the charter as the city's director of pubic safety. He said the city manager fills that role now already, as supervisor of the police and fire chiefs, but there is no charter language stating he has that role.

Keith Edwards -- 621-5647

kedwards@centralmaine.com