WATERVILLE — The city plans to start collecting recyclables at the curb during the three times a year when there are more than four Mondays in a month.
Sullivan’s Disposal Service, of Thorndike, collects recycling the first and third full week of the month on residents’ regular trash collection day, but three times a year there are months when two weeks pass before recycling is collected again.
Residents complained about the gaps in recycling collection in the lead-up to a June referendum on the city’s pay-as-you-throw trash program and city officials said they would talk to Sullivan’s to see if the schedule could be changed or find an alternative, including using the Public Works Department to collect recycling during the off-weeks.
The city’s decision to collect recycling during the off-weeks is a turnaround from earlier this month, when the city administration said such extra collections would not happen. City Manager Mike Roy said the Public Works Department wasn’t going to collect recycling and the collection schedule would remain unchanged until the contract with Sullivan’s runs out in 2017.
In a June 25 memo to the council, Mayor Nick Isgro and Roy, Public Works Director Mark Turner said that after weeks of discussion, Sullivan’s said it couldn’t change the Waterville schedule because of its contract obligations to other towns.
But Isgro and some city councilors challenged that position, questioning the making of such a decision without bringing the issue to the council’s attention first.
Turner said Thursday that city workers now will collect recyclables in the off-weeks, but if there are days during those “courtesy weeks” when the weather is inclement because of winter conditions such as snowstorms or freezing rain, the city might not be able to pick up the recycling. Cancellations will appear on the city’s Web page, www.waterville-me.gov, he said.
“Storms of longer duration may result in multiple days being affected during that particular week,” Turner said. “It is likely that, due to these factors, no makeup days will be rescheduled and residents would have to wait until the following week when Sullivan’s will be doing their normal collection.”
Turner said residents can expect that with good weather, recycling will be collected on normal trash days. “It’s going to be contingent on weather, personnel and equipment,” he said.
Workers who will collect recyclables also plow roads in winter, so the first priority will be clearing roads, according to Turner.
This year, the courtesy collection weeks will occur the week of Aug. 31 through Sept. 4 and the week of Nov. 30 through Dec. 4, according to Turner. Next year, the courtesy weeks will be Feb. 29 through March 4, Aug. 29 through Sept. 2 and Oct. 31 through Nov. 4, he said.
Meanwhile, Council Chairman Fred Stubbert, D-Ward 1, said Thursday that he and others are serving on a committee that is looking at long-term trash issues.
“We had our first meeting yesterday, and it’s going to be a regular thing from now on until we come up with a solution,” he said.
The city’s contract with Penobscot Energy Recovery Co., of Orrington, which incinerates the city’s trash, expires in 2018.
“We’re looking at every option, including getting involved with Augusta as a regional issue — maybe even forming a district to get the cities out of the trash business,” Stubbert said.
The simplest option, he said, would be to send trash to Waste Management in Norridgewock. A more complex option would be to build a processing plant and form a regional district.
“If we formed it with Augusta, that would amount to over 100 tons a day, and that’s a good number for a processing plant,” he said.
Turner and Roy announced the new recycling schedule at Tuesday’s City Council meeting, but the council was not required to vote on it.
In other matters Tuesday, the council voted to transfer about $96,352 from the landfill reserve account to the capital improvement account to help fund energy-efficiency upgrades to City Hall and the Waterville Opera House, City Hall basement renovations and purchase of police communication equipment. The city plans to remove the radio tower on City Hall, install a new one at the Police Department and move the police base radios from City Hall to the police station, as they are connected to the tower, according to Roy. The equipment is at City Hall because the Police Department formerly was in the basement there.
Roy said Thursday that the project is important because a cable runs from City Hall to the police station, and if an accident occurred on Front Street that knocked out the cable, there would be no police communication. The city dispatches for eight towns and Delta Ambulance Service, he said.
“I think that the council recognized that if we’re going to continue to provide service for the other communities that pay for it, we have to make sure the system is as secure as possible,” Roy said.
He said the work will be completed before winter arrives.
Councilors also voted Tuesday to renew City Solicitor William Lee’s contract and sell 10 Temple Court, which the city had taken because of nonpayment of taxes, to Janis Lazarian, Frank Della Femina and Cheryl Cayer for $10,000. They plan to turn the building into residences and art studios, according to Stubbert.
Isgro also recognized Waterville firefighter and rescue technician Ryan Cote and firefighter Glendon Bordas for helping to save a man who was reported down June 24 at Jokas Discount Beverage on Front Street. The man was unresponsive, had no pulse and wasn’t breathing, Isgro said. Bordas and Cote delivered a shock to him with an automated external defibrillator, effectively bringing him back to life, Isgro said.
Three days later, on June 27, the man, Sean Gillis, visited the Fire Department to thank Cote and Bordas.
“Mr. Gillis’ quick recovery is truly amazing, as is the appreciation he showed to firefighters Cote and Bordas,” Isgro said.
Isgro presented Cote and Bordas with certificates recognizing them for their “commendable and noteworthy actions.”
Amy Calder — 861-9247
Twitter: @AmyCalder17
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