JAY — The Livermore Falls town manager will present a proposed transfer station agreement to Jay selectmen Monday night in case Livermore Falls residents vote to close that town’s station.

Livermore Falls voters will consider shutting down the town’s transfer and recycling station during a special town meeting at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 8, at the Livermore Falls High School. It is an effort to try to reduce the town’s tax rate, which could rise as much as $4 per $1,000 of valuation if reductions in services are not made.

Jay selectmen will hold their meeting at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 31, at the Jay Town Office.

The proposed transfer station agreement would be for three years and include a 90-day termination clause for both towns if things don’t work out, Livermore Falls Town Manager Jim Chaousis said.

He reviewed the proposal with Jay Town Manager Ruth Marden to fine-tune it and has verbal support from Livermore Falls Board of Selectmen to present it Monday, Chaousis said.

Under the agreement, Livermore Falls would pay 24.5 percent of Jay’s municipal solid waste tipping fees based on the Jay transfer station customer rate, he said. That rate would be adjusted annually, he said.

Jay’s customer rate is based on what the town pays for solid waste when it’s brought to a Norridgewock facility for tipping fees plus $20, Chaousis said.

Jay charges Livermore Falls $85.71 per ton of solid waste and Jay pays Norridgewock $65.71 per ton, he said. Livermore Falls also pays a $7,500 contract fee to Jay that allows the town to have its solid waste and recyclables hauled to Jay’s station. The fee is based on population.

Jay operates a regional transfer station and recycling facility. If Livermore Falls voters shut down its station and Jay selectmen approve the agreement, then Livermore Falls residents would have to bring their trash and recyclables to Jay.
In 2008, Livermore Falls had 1,299.52 tons of municipal solid waste go through Jay’s system.

In all, Jay handled 5,423.13 tons of solid waste for the towns it serves. Livermore Falls contributes 24.41 percent of Jay’s tonnage, Chaousis said. The formula was based on six years of records.

Livermore Falls pays $150 each time they have a roll-off dumpster containers hauled to Jay’s station, Chaousis said. That is done five to eight times a month, he said.

According to Chaousis’ figures, Livermore Falls raised an overall $230,428.70 to operate its transfer station for 2009-10. That figure includes $128,565 for tipping fees for solid waste and $10,650 for hauling costs. It also covers wages, insurance and other costs.

If the interlocal agreement is approved by all parties, Chaousis said Livermore Falls would be able to save $94,928 in 2009-10 and $106,318.70 in 2010-11.

Livermore Falls would also be required to keep its transfer station’s Maine Department of Environmental Protection license, which currently cost $400 annually.

Chaousis estimated that Livermore Falls taxpayers would save $60 on their tax bill if they owned a home that was valued at $100,000, if the deal is approved.

“This is the best plan that we have ever had for transfer station services outside our own transfer station,” Chaousis said.

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