Littleton residents again say ‘no’ to pay-per-bag trash system

  LITTLETON, Maine — Disposing of personal trash will remain a free service to residents of Littleton following the town’s annual meeting Monday evening.
By a vote of 38 “yes” and 44 “no,” residents shot down a proposal that would have created a pay-per-bag system for disposing of garbage at the town’s solid waste facility. Before the vote, Board Chairman Bob Bartlett stated if the measure failed, selectmen would likely drop the issue for the foreseeable future.
    More than 100 residents attended the meeting, which lasted two hours.
Some residents questioned why the town was once again discussing the trash situation since it was just eight months ago that a special town meeting was held on the matter. Nearly 100 individuals turned out last July to vote on the pay-per-bag proposal. At that meeting, the measure was turned down by a vote of 31-56.
Voters also approved a municipal budget of $453,515, which is an increase of $7,500 over last year. The bulk of those increases are due to increased cost for solid waste disposal, rises in health insurance and workers’ compensation, increased fuel costs, and a rise in the Recreation Department’s budget of $1,900.
According to Town Manager Courtney Toby, the tax rate will not be finalized until both the SAD 29 and Aroostook County budgets are finalized. Toby said the school (SAD 29) budget will not be available until June, but preliminary indications are Littleton’s share of the overall budget will likely increase again, which could mean another increase to the town’s mill rate. Tax bills traditionally are sent out in late-June or July.
Littleton currently has a mill rate of 15.5, which means a house assessed at $100,000 has a tax bill of $1,550. Any increase in the town’s share of the SAD 29 budget would result in a tax increase to residents, she said.
According to Bartlett, concerns over rising tax bills were the primary reasons for proposing the switch to a pay-per-bag trash system. He surmised it was one way the town could reduce its mill rate by as much as 1.2 mills by making the switch, which would have resulted in a savings of $120 for a taxpayer whose home was assessed at $100,000.
If a household generated one 30-gallon bag of trash per week, the yearly cost to dispose of that trash would have been $104. The switch could also increase recycling efforts; encouraging individuals try to limit what they throw away.
The town’s solid waste budget has climbed steadily in recent years. Toby said the budget went up in 2011 due to an increase in the amount of garbage being disposed of by residents. In 2010, the town spent $74,500 to operate a solid waste facility. Based on that figure, the average cost per person was $80.42, according to data from the Maine State Planning Office.
In 2011, the amount of money spent for the solid waste facility rose to $76,800. This year, the town appropriated $78,300.
During a slide-show presentation, board member Gordon Hagerman explained that by switching to the pay-per-bag system, the town could reduce its municipal waste account by $53,300. Littleton Selectmen proposed a $2 per bag fee for garbage taken to its transfer station. A tag would have been placed on all 30-gallon trash bags, which can hold up to 25 pounds. Barrels could still be used to dump trash, provided two tags were attached to the barrel.
Flat rate fees for larger items would have been unchanged. The transfer station currently charges $1 for tires up to 15 inches; $2 for those 16-20 inches; and $5 for larger than 20 inches; $5 for white goods and bulky items (such as sofas, chairs and mattresses); and $10 per square for shingles. Disposal of metal and clean wood is free.
The amount of garbage being dumped at Littleton’s transfer station has increased steadily over the past three years. In 2008, the town generated 405.92 tons of garbage, not counting waste collected in dumpsters around the town. That figure rose to 419.65 tons in 2009 and 431.84 tons in 2010.
Including the garbage collected in dumpsters, Littleton residents generated 493.7 tons of waste in 2008; 508 tons in 2009 and 514 tons in 2010. The figure declined slightly to 481 tons in 2011.
The cost per ton has also risen dramatically over the past four years. In 2008, the cost was $71 per ton. That figure rose to $79.25 per ton in 2010, while the figure for 2011 was $82 per ton. For 2012, the cost will be $85 per ton.
Littleton is one of the last communities in the area to not switch to some form of a pay-per-bag system for its solid waste. Houlton, Bridgewater, Amity, Crystal, Dyer Brook, Monticello, Smyrna, Merrill, New Limerick, Island Falls, Moro, Presque Isle and Patten are among the local communities that require residents to pay per bag for waste disposal. As of 2010, a total of 139 municipalities in the state have adopted a pay-as-you-throw system for managing garbage, according to the Maine State Planning Office.
Many residents expressed concerns that people simply would not pay to dispose of their garbage, and would instead start dumping their trash in wooded areas or along roads. Some also suggested that many would switch to illegally burning their trash.
Bill Greaves, a warden with the Maine Forest Service and a resident of Littleton, said his department would be responsible for investigating illegal dumping of trash, but not its cleanup. He stated the MFS has had a successful track record of locating individuals responsible for dumping their waste illegally and requiring them to clean it up. Those individuals have also been prosecuted.
The town voted to take $76,000 out of its surplus account to help defray taxes. The town currently has nearly $370,000 in its surplus account.
Elections
In elections held earlier in the day, Paul Jacques defeated Clayton Willigar Jr. for a three-year term on the Board of Selectmen. The seat was previously held by Rae Johnston, who retired from the board after 24 years (see accompanying story).
Sandra Henderson was also elected to a three-year term on the SAD 29 school board. Henderson was a write-in candidate for the position. She succeeds Crystal Hagerman, who opted not to run for re-election.
Littleton officials do not release the actual votes candidates receive at town elections.