NORWAY – Norway-Paris Solid Waste Inc. is exploring the possibility of hiring a contractor to operate the waste station on Brown Street, but has not made a decision to do so, its president said Tuesday.
A request for bids from private contractors does not mean the station, which is shared by both towns, will be run by a private company, President Eric Grondahl said in response to questions from Norway and Paris officials, who are concerned about the idea.
The request is intended to give the Board of Directors an idea of the possible costs, he said.
“Then we’re going to make up our minds, Is this going to save us money or not?'” he said.
Questions about privatizing station operations must be submitted in writing to the Board of Directors before a March 21 meeting. Grondahl said the board will respond to the questions at that time, and then await bids. The bid deadline is 2 p.m. April 15.
While it was said during a Paris Board of Selectmen’s meeting on Monday that a contract would be awarded that day, the request said bids “will be opened and publicly read at the NPSW facility on Brown Street” that day.
Last June, Norway-Paris Solid Waste considered bids from two private contractors to haul waste from the station. The first was from Pine Tree Waste Co. of Bethel, a subsidiary of Casella Waste Systems of Rutland, Vt., for $360,000 a year. The second was from Almighty Waste of Auburn for $381,000 a year.
The solid waste corporation’s total proposed budget for 2005 is $626,780 and includes costs for the operation of the Frost Hill Landfill on Route 117 in Norway. The landfill is not being considered as part of the contractor proposal.
Norway and Paris each raised $240,000 to run the corporation in 2004. In 2005, they are being asked to appropriate $282,875 each.
Although early contracting bids looked as if the towns could save money, it was noted at an Aug. 10 joint meeting with the Norway and Paris boards of selectmen that the bids did not cover all the services now being offered at the station.
Also, the agreement would not ensure that the current station staff would be allowed to stay on.
“It’s just something we can’t do, and I feel bad because there’s some good workers there,” Grondahl said Monday.
He did not agree with concerns that hiring a private contractor would reduce recycling rates. He noted a portion of the proposal, which provides savings incentives for keeping the waste tonnage processed at the transfer station below average.
At a Paris Board of Selectmen’s meeting Tuesday, selectmen agreed to request a joint meeting with the solid waste Board of Directors and the Norway Board of Selectmen to discuss their concerns.
“I look forward to it,” Grondahl said.
The request for proposals was approved at a Norway-Paris Solid Waste board meeting with a 3-1 vote, with member Ray Garnett voting against the document, according to solid waste General Manager Alison McCrady. Three board members were absent at the time.
Garnett said Monday he voted against the request because he had not seen the document before the meeting.
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