Montville — Voters will have a chance to weigh in on the future of the town's police department at a townwide referendum scheduled for March 8.

The Town Council voted Tuesday to schedule the referendum after residents collected more than 400 signatures on a petition calling for a second opinion on the plan to move Montville’s officers out of the state police resident trooper program and create an independent department, to go into effect following the swearing-in of a police chief.

The petition required the Town Council to either reconsider their January decision in favor of an independent department or schedule a townwide vote on the issue.

The council’s members agreed that Montville residents should get the opportunity to vote on the future of the Montville department themselves, councilors said at Tuesday’s meeting.

It’s not the first time voters have had the chance to vote on the issue.

In 2002, a motion to establish an independent department passed the Town Council but was overturned in a referendum later that year.

The referendum on March 8, is scheduled for 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Fair Oaks School at 836 Old Colchester Road in Oakdale.

People will vote then on whether to overturn the ordinance creating the police department, or let it stand and allow the town to move forward.

The Town Council also scheduled a special town meeting on Feb. 24 to allow residents to voice their opinions on the referendum.

That meeting will be held at 6 p.m. in Town Hall.

m.shanahan@theday.com

Twitter: @martha_shan