Dexter opts to remain with MRC for solid waste disposal beyond 2018

By Stuart Hedstrom
Staff Writer

DEXTER — Over the next several months, nearly 200 communities across eastern Maine will be making decisions on the long-term future of solid waste disposal. The Dexter Town Council made its choice during a March 10 meeting by authorizing the execution of a municipal joinder agreement with the Municipal Review Committee (MRC).

The MRC — made up of 187 communities — contract with the Penobscot Energy Recovery Company (PERC) in Orrington will end in 2018 and the organization intends for its members’ solid waste to go to a future facility in Hampden, operated by the Maryland-based Fiberight for recycling and biofuels processing.

“I have read all the things and this seems like the best solution,” Councilor Mark Robichaud said.

“If other towns are feeling this is the best way to go, I’m good,” Councilor Sharon Grant added, as both Bangor and Brewer have opted to stay with the MRC on the Fiberight option.

MRC Board President Chip Reeves, who is the public works director for Bar Harbor and MRC board member and Bangor City Manager Catherine Conlow were both present to answer questions for the Dexter Town Council.

“Bangor signed on for a variety of seasons,” Conlow said. She said she asked the city manager’s public works director for a recommendation and he told her, “‘Financially it didn’t make sense for us to do anything different,’” as Fiberight has been quoting towns $20 less per ton than PERC.

“We ended up $4.2 million ahead with the MRC-Fiberight deal,” she said. Conlow added that the Bangor City Council was concerned that the proposed Fiberight facility has not yet been built, but decided there is risk with either option and the MRC is stronger with its member towns staying together.

Reeves said Bar Harbor took a different approach as town officials focused on the technology of Fiberight’s solid waste recycling and biofuels processing. Reeves said that in addition to the financial advantages of the Fiberight proposal, the Bar Harbor Town Council felt the option was “the right thing to do” with waste being reused and not shipped to a landfill and the councilors thought it best to remain the other MRC members.

In other business, the council accepted the low bid of a little more than $478,000 from B and B Paving of Hermon for the paving contracts for the Silvers Mills Road, Zions Hill Road and the Airport Road. The motion also included an expenditure of up to $12,000 for a project consultant.

Town Manager Shelley Watson said a consultant is being sought because “when you are spending half a million dollars you want to be sure you are getting the quality work you bid out.” She explained a consulting estimate she got was $88 an hour for 10 12-hour days, which equals $10,560 or a little less than the up to $12,000 approved.

In her report, Watson mentioned several items. “First I would like to congratulate Russ Titus for being the oldest citizen,” she said. The 97-year-old resident had recently been presented with the Boston Post Cane to mark the distinction as Dexter’s most senior citizen.

“The Maine Red Hot Dog Festival is going along real well, it’s looking like it’s going to be huge day for Dexter,” Watson said about the inaugural event being planned by the Dexter Revitalization Committee for Saturday, Aug. 13. Watson added that she wanted to thank the festival volunteers for the countless hours they are putting in.

The town manager said meetings have been taking place with the various department heads “to go over their needs, wants and wishes” as the next fiscal year’s budget is being developed.

During the meeting’s ending open session, Councilor Fred Sherburne said he wanted the public to be aware that the last dairy farm in town was destroyed in a fire earlier in the week. The blaze destroyed the two-story farmhouse and attached barn and all the milking equipment and farm machinery at Kenny Trafton’s 80-cow farm on the Upper Garland Road — several dozen cows died in the fire.

Sherburne said in the 1930s Dexter had a half dozen dairy farms and now “it’s the end of an era.”