Residents decide to remain with MRC for solid waste disposal

By Stuart Hedstrom
Staff Writer

SANGERVILLE — Nearly 200 communities across Maine that belong to the Municipal Review Committee (MRC) have been making decisions on the long-term future of solid waste. Sangerville residents made their choice during a special town meeting on April 28 with the community opting to remain with the MRC.

“It’s either the (Penobscot Energy Recovery Company) or MRC which is Fiberight,” Town Manager Dr. Ken Woodbury Jr. said. MRC member towns had a choice to remain with the Orrington-based PERC after the current contract expires in 2018 or stay with MRC and its plan for a future facility in Hampden being developed by Fiberight of Maryland.

“The main issue with Sangerville, after you boil it all down, is we go to Dover,” Dr. Woodbury said, as Sangerville’s waste is brought to the transfer station in Dover-Foxcroft. “They’re the dog and we’re the tail, and we have to follow the dog and we want Sangerville’s interests protected either way.”

“If we did not go where Dover goes we would have to come up with our own trash collection, which is not in the budget,” he said. Two days later, Dover-Foxcroft residents approved an article to remain with MRC during the community’s annual town meeting and this item was moved to the June referendum for a final vote.

Dr. Woodbury said by making its decision during the April 28 session, Sangerville is entitled to the future benefits of being a charter member of MRC’s Fiberight plan.

Bangor City Manager and MRC board member Catherine Conlow was present and she was asked what would happen if the Fiberight plan falls through. “The back-up plan on this facility is if something goes wrong we have an agreement with Norridgewock and it’s good for 10 years,” she said.

She said so far MRC towns committing to the Fiberight proposal account for about 75,000 annual tons of solid waste, which is about half of the 150,000 needed for the operation.

In other business, those present authorized the selectmen — by a 26-11 vote — to sell up to half of the wooden chairs stored on the upper floors of the town hall with the proceeds to purchase padded or stackable chairs for the community room.

“I have been working on this project for a little while,” Selectman Tom Carone said. He said upstairs there are two types of chairs, including three connected wooden chair units that all together totaling a little more than 400 seats

“Some of the chairs up there are in terrible shape,” Carone said. “They are not worth fixing, it’s too expensive.”

He proposed selling up to half of the chairs that are unlikely to be used in the foreseeable future to create some revenue. “We will save the rest and hopefully get some more comfortable seats than what many of are sitting on now,” Carone said.

Voted down, via a written ballot of 35-23, was an article authorizing the selectmen to purchase a chipper for an amount not to exceed $15,000 with funds appropriated from public works capital reserve.