WATERVILLE — The City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to take the city’s solid waste and recycling to Pine Tree Waste Services in Waterville for the next two years rather than continue trucking it to Waste Management’s Crossroads Landfill in Norridgewock.

The change will reduce transportation time, fuel consumption and wear on trucks, according to Public Works Director Matt Skehan, who said bringing the waste to the local site is better economically and environmentally.

“Clearly, Pine Tree Waste has the best proposal for us,” Skehan told councilors.

Acting City Manager Bill Post gives an update Tuesday during the Waterville City Council meeting at The Elm at 21 College Ave. Michael G. Seamans/Morning Sentinel

Acting City Manager Bill Post noted going with Pine Tree, which is part of Casella Waste Systems, will save money in the long run and free up staff members to do other work.

Councilor Michael Morris, D-Ward 5, said hopefully it means workers will be able to pick up city trash and recycling four days a week, rather than five.

“Sounds like a win-win,” council Chairwoman Rebecca Green, D-Ward 4, said.

The contract with Pine Tree, which is on LaFleur Road, off Airport Road, is to begin this month and run until March 31, 2025. The contract rate for the first year will be $87 per ton for solid waste and $200 per ton for recycling. In year two, the rate will be $91.35 per ton for solid waste and $210 per ton for recycling.

The city now pays Waste Management $77 per ton for solid waste and $149.78 per ton for recycling.

The city’s contract with Waste Management expired last week and the recycling contract ends June 30. Waste Management delivers the city’s recyclables to Portland-based Ecomaine.

The city received proposals from Pine Tree and Waste Management, with Waste Management proposing a one-year contract at $261 per ton. With transportation cost included, the total would be $253,950. A two-year contract with the company would amount to $265,689.

Pine Tree offered a one-year contract at $287 per ton. Including transportation, the total cost would be $233,900. A two-year contract with Pine Tree amounts to $245,595.

Solid waste taken to Norridgewock is buried at its landfill. Pine Tree will deliver the city’s solid waste to Penobscot Energy Recovery Co., also known as PERC, in Orrington, where it will be incinerated and turned to energy, Skehan said. The recycling will be taken to Lewiston, baled and sold, he said.

Waterville residents and businesses each year produce on average 1,700 tons of solid waste and 475 tons of recycling, Skehan said.

In other matters Tuesday, councilors voted to rezone 74 Pleasant St. to allow Ware-Butler Building Supply to put offices at the former Sacred Heart Church rectory. Another vote is needed to finalize the rezoning.

Councilors Flavia DeBrito, D-Ward 2, and Claude Francke, D-Ward 6, voted against the rezoning. The former rectory is located in Francke’s ward.

Francke said rezoning from Residential-B and Residential-D to a Contract Zoned/District Commercial-A would be illegal and wrong. Commercial operations are not allowed in a residential zone, he said.

DeBrito described such an action as spot zoning and asked if the city is planning to continue to spot zone.

The City Council also voted Tuesday to:

• Refer to the Planning Board for public hearing and recommendation on a proposal to allow veterinary clinics in the Commercial-A zone, to allow Matt Townsend to open a veterinary practice on Waterville Commons Drive. Townsend said he hopes to move into the former Sweet Frog space.

• Approve a $423,484 contract with Maine-ly Paving Services of Canaan for local paving this year.

« Previous

Next »

Related Stories