NORWAY – Selectmen Bruce Cook and Warren Session have been appointed to a committee of Norway and Paris officials and others who will review regulations governing the sometimes controversial Norway-Paris Solid Waste Committee.

The committee and selectmen from Norway and Paris agreed last month to form an ad hoc committee to review the 20-year waste agreement between the towns that was approved in 2003.

The committee came under scrutiny earlier this year when it voted to increase the disposal fee for items left at the transfer station that did not come from Norway or Paris from $7 an item to $25. Chris Shorey of Main Street Furniture claimed the move singled him out when he was reclassified as a commercial hauler, something the board has denied.

We’re looking at what’s going to work best for the taxpayer,” said Irene Millett, who represents Norway selectmen on the Solid Waste Committee. ‘The taxpayers need to have a voice as to how this is run.”

Officials from both towns decided to form the ad hoc committee, consisting of two members from the solid waste committee, two members from each of the selectboards and one member of the public from Norway and Paris, to review the agreement with an eye toward making possible amendments.

While Paris has always had the option of having a selectboard member on the solid waste committee, Norway Selectman Russ Newcomb said for some unknown reason the town chose not to, something Millett says should be changed.

The unanimous agreement by the Norway board to appoint Sessions and Cook came after a limited discussion about Sessions’ employment with Norway regional recycling, which leases land from the solid waste committee for its operation, Sessions questioned whether it would be a conflict for him to sit on the ad hoc committee, but his fellow members said they did not believe it would.

Paris selectmen will name their committee appointments at their Dec. 22 board meeting.


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