The two partner towns in the Readfield/Wayne Transfer Station have had an initial meeting with representatives of Fayette as they work on bringing in Fayette as a third partner town.

Since July, Fayette has been a customer of the transfer station.

People in Fayette contract to have their trash picked up by one of three private haulers — Archie’s, of Mexico; J & A Disposal, of Jay; and Fran Trask, of Manchester — at $25 per month. “The first meeting with Fayette was great,” said Eric Dyer, Readfield town manager who also manages the transfer station, which is on the North Road in Readfield.

“It really is just three towns working together, and Readfield maintains most of the management responsibility.”

Several representatives from Fayette attended one of the regular meetings of the Solid Waste Committee.

Dyer said the committee is “working with the active assumption that all three towns have completed interlocal agreements on their town meeting warrants.”

Mark Robinson, Fayette town manager and one of those attending the meeting with the other three towns, said there were several amendments suggested to a draft agreement.

“Once we receive that, then the board will take that up at selectmen’s meeting,” he said. If it is approved there, then it would go to a special town meeting or referendum so the town could become a partner with the transfer station.

Robinson said the Fayette board would like to have Fayette residents’ approval for the agreement sooner than the annual Town Meeting in June.

“We would want to give the other communities advance notice for budgetary purposes,” he said.

Robinson said that from his perspective, the change from using the transfer station in Jay to the one in Readfield has worked out well.

“It’s been seamless for Fayette because their weekly trash is being picked up by a private hauler,” he said. “If Fayette agrees to become a partner, they can either continue with a private hauler or haul trash on their own.”

Under the yearlong arrangement that began July 1, Fayette is paying about $40,000 in disposal and access fees to the Readfield/Wayne station. Fayette paid the Town of Jay $39,000 in annual tipping and disposal fees, but then Jay announced it was closing its transfer station to outsiders.

Betty Adams — 621-5631

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Twitter: @betadams