BUCKFIELD – Selectmen from Buckfield and Sumner met Monday night for their semiannual meeting on the shared transfer station.

They appointed Ralph Beck as the station supervisor and Town Manager Glen Holmes announced they had hired Bill Harmon as a helper.

Holmes said that Beck had several ideas and concerns with the station. One is placing a limit on tire disposal. Tire disposal costs the town approximately $10,000 annually.

The board discussed what might happen if the town limited tire disposal.

Selectmen Skip Stanley and Oscar Gammon expressed concern over tires ending on the roads or in the river. A limit of two tires a day was discussed. People could purchase a ticket at the town office for $2 per tire if more were needed, it was suggested.

After discussing disposals by building contractors, Gammon motioned to find out how West Paris was handling the problem.

The towns have one commercial household waste hauler and Holmes said he brings two loads on Saturday and it takes him about 40 minutes to unload, which ties up the lines. Stanley asked Holmes to consult with the handler over the situation.

Gammon mentioned that residents need to have stickers as he had noticed at least one Hartford resident dumping in Buckfield.

Holmes read a report on the Swap Shop operation, which showed that in September over 2,000 pounds was taken out of the waste stream and put through the Swap Shop. People bring clean usable items to the shop for others to take for free.

A request for a larger container to house the Swap Shop was tabled until spring to see if interest continues over items brought in and taken from the shop.

Holmes read a report from the state showing that over the past three years recycling had dropped nearly 5 percent. The goal for recycling is 50 percent and in 2006, the percentage was 40.2 percent.

Holmes requested and approval was given for $1,500 to be taken from the station fund to widen the exit gate at the dump by 10 feet.

During the regular Buckfield selectmen meeting, Holmes announced that the school has not paid its part of elevator repair costs. The elevator is needed for handicap accessibility but the school had been using it for moving supplies, which caused the need for repairs. Holmes said he would approach the School Committee Wednesday night for discussion on the bill.

On Oct, 25, at 6:30, the Buckfield Village Corp. will meet and a public hearing will be held at 7 to set water rates. Holmes said there will probably be a very slight increase.

The board accepted the resignation of Dick Piper from the Road Committee and the Planning Board and resignation of Beverly Bennett from the Old Church on the Hill Committee.