Solid waste fees set
By Kathy McCarty
Staff Writer
PRESQUE ISLE — Authorizing changes to the solid waste program took up a considerable portion of Monday night’s Council session, as councilors debated setting fees for services and raising bag prices for Pay-As-You-Throw.
City Manager Jim Bennett began the discussion by noting a staff person “had a great idea” with regard to the blue recycle bags. Rather than eliminate them as previously discussed, Bennett suggested councilors approve including them with the orange bags.
“Based on the discussion, we could include five blue bags with five orange bags. If people need more, they could buy them at places selling the garbage bags. Places could sell separate packages of blue bags,” said Bennett, noting the cost for the recycle bags would be included in the cost of the orange package.
“Increasing bag cost by 30 cents would include blue,” said Bennett.
Bennett also asked councilors to consider increasing the commercial tipping fee to $112.50 per ton, with the recommendation of a $15 rebate to Presque Isle businesses, resulting in a $97.50 fee per ton. Councilor Mel Hovey commented that he’d like to see it dropped even more, to $95 per ton.
“By doing that — including eliminating giving away blue bags (which would save about $30,888) — once you remove debt and curbside, you’d generate about $619,144. If Council was to adopt all these items, this would allow adopting a budget without a tax increase for the second year in a row,” said Bennett.
Bennett told councilors he’d met with local haulers who’ve agreed to charge the same for curbside as the city currently pays, through the spring of 2013, with an optional clause included to request an increase, should fuel prices increase.
Steve Richard, director of the Opportunity Training Center, spoke in opposition of privatizing the recycling center, advising councilors that it would result in 16-17 employees losing their jobs at the shredding facility. Hovey indicated if the city continued on with recycling, it would result in just over $48,000 more to budget for, he was in favor of keeping it to keep the jobs Richard referenced.
“I’m sensitive to Steve tonight,” said Hovey.
“To offset, we could look at coming up with the difference. We could make it up on the city side of the budget. The more you can make adjustments, the more likely other communities will stay in the system,” said Bennett.
Bennett reminded councilors that efforts needed to be made to keep costs down to ensure surrounding communities currently in the PAYT program would remain, since after the first of the year officials in those towns would have to determine how trash removal is handled — whether the communities increase taxes to cover, find some other way to adjust their budgets to cover or some other arrangement is made.
With discussion concluded, councilors authorized changes to the solid waste program, voting against privatizing the recycling center; increased the cost of PAYT bags by 30 cents each to $1.75 for small ($8.75 for package of five) and $3.35 for large ($16.75 for pack of five), which would include the cost of five recycle bags; set the commercial rate at $112.50 per ton, with a $15 rebate for Presque Isle businesses, with an additional $2.50 offset, for a fee of $95 per ton; set the non-commercial tip fee at $150 — up $5 from Bennett’s recommended $145, which would raise an additional $4,000; approved the haulers’ agreement through early 2013, including a reopener clause; and removed curbside service for outside towns.
Bennett said these items had to be addressed to allow other towns time to set special meetings to discuss their part in the PAYT program and how they’ll handle pickup, now that Presque Isle won’t be covering the service.
In other business, councilors:
• Held the first of two hearings on a request to amending Chapter 48 — General Assistance Ordinance per Title 22 M.R.S.A. 4305 (4), and amending Chapter 50 — Advisory Board Ordinance, with a second hearing on each set for Jan. 4, 2012;
• Approved a liquor license and a special permit for music, dancing and entertainment, for Four Thirty One, LLC d/b/a Freddy P’s, 431 Main St., with conditions;
• Approved consent agenda;
• Approved solid waste collector licenses for Edgar J. LeBlanc d/b/a Star City Sanitation; Gilford A. Berube d/b/a Gil’s Sanitation; Pine Tree Waste and Jack Herbert d/b/a McNeal’s Trucking, with conditions;
• Approve close-out of library project, with remaining funds of just over $42,411 rolled over to the community center fund;
• Approved the holiday schedule, with City Hall closed Monday, Dec. 26, and Monday, Jan. 2, with limited hours for other departments, for more information call 760-2785;
• Approved foreclosure on properties due to taxes owed;
• Set Jan. 4, 2012, as the date to swear in new city councilors;
• Authorized the sale of an emergency vehicle from the Presque Isle Fire Department, with funds to be used toward a new vehicle; and
• Approved 2011 salaries for trustees of the Water District and trustees of the Sewer District.
Council’s next budget workshop will be Wednesday, Dec. 7, at 5 p.m. at City Hall and is open to the public. The next regular meeting will be Jan. 4, 2012. For more information, call 760-2785.
