The Town of Caroline has a resolution on Tuesday’s meeting agenda that, if passed, would stop the town from taking action to ban hydraulic fracturing in the town.

The resolution comes as more than 900 residents have signed a petition calling on the town ban the gas-exploration technique in Caroline.

Supervisor Don Barber said the board is divided on the issue. The piece of legislation is a resolution, which is not subject to a public hearing, but the board is welcoming public comment on Tuesday evening, Barber said.

Barber said he will wait to hear from the public before officially taking a position, but said he’s inclined to vote against the resolution.

“The role of local government is to represent the people and listen to them speak and to protect them. Whenever a town board takes a position that is going to limit debate and is going to limit the options it has available, I think that’s a bad move. So unless I hear something very compelling, I will be opposing the resolution,” Barber said.

At a previous meeting, it appeared that the resolution had enough support to pass, Barber said.

Towns and cities throughout New York have created organizations and events aimed at raising awareness about the potential dangers and unknowns of hydraulic natural gasoline extraction, or “fracking.”

“Momentum to ban gas drilling by local rule has been building across Tompkins County and the state as people learn more about the problems created by gas extraction via hydraulic fracturing,” Bill Podulka, coordinator of the local activist group ROUSE (Residents Opposing Unsafe Shale-Gas Extraction), said in a statement. ROUSE is leading the door-to-door and online petition drive and encouraging any residents who haven’t signed to do so before the meeting at www.rouse-tc.org/car.

Board members Linda Adams and Peter Hoyt authored the resolution.

The meeting is expected to be packed with residents wanting to speak about the resolution; some favor the form of gas exploration, others are deeply opposed. Anti-fracturing legislation has come up in a number of neighboring municipalities, including Dryden and Ulysses. The cities of Oneonta and Buffalo have passed bans on fracturing, as well.

The Caroline Town Board meeting will start at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Brooktondale Community Center because the town hall wasn’t a large enough venue.