Politics can be interesting. That’s good, as long as we also take politics seriously — like “60 Minutes” does or a documentary that entertains and educates. As viewers and as citizens, it’s good to be engaged; it prevents apathy and helps the information stick in our heads.

Wiscasset voters declined to keep having meetings carried on cable or online. So the only way to view them from start to finish is live and in-person. I recommend March 27, when the Wiscasset Historic Preservation Commission meets with the Public Advisory Committee for the downtown project. It’s at 5 p.m. and, according to Commission Chairman John Reinhardt last week, we can expect a difference of opinion between the two bodies.

For two reasons, the scenario is interesting and potentially important. Neither involves the injunction attempt now under way in court. That will play out on the parties’ and court’s terms. Instead, the first reason involves the commission. Now nearly two years old, with most of its original members, it has charges the voters set in 2015, about certificates and other determinations, but the commission at times gets political, most notably with the downtown project.

Town Planner Ben Averill, and former planner Jamel Torres before him, have helped keep the ship right, in terms of the commission’s duties and its limits; and sometimes more than others, the commission has followed that guidance. But the members are on there because they really care about the district’s historic look, not just to keep it looking old, but to keep it looking like Wiscasset. 

Residents may come away from the meeting feeling the commission should stick to its certificates, or may be glad it is acting as a voice for historical concerns. Most likely, there will be both opinions. It will be interesting to see what unfolds, and potentially important to residents’ future actions with the commission, including amendments the panel has been drafting.

Then, there’s the advisory committee. It’s helping the state plan a project Wiscasset widely favored last year. Yes, the project has been tweaked, but that’s what happens at this stage, and it’s the point of the state and town working together. The panelists want the best possible outcome. For this reason, too, the meeting could be interesting: The residents on the committee have a mix of views on what the best outcome may be; and potentially important, because the discussion, as others before it, will be part of all the information the committee and the state consider.

Attendance is free. There are no nosebleed seats. And going is the only way to see and hear it all for yourself.