FARMINGTON — At their meeting Tuesday night, March 28, Selectmen approved the 2023 sewer budget then set sewer usage rates for this year, which will see the first increase in rates since 2018.

Selectman approved a rate of $48 for a minimum of 500 cubic feet per quarter and $9.60 per 100 cubic feet thereafter, a 20.3% increase over last year’s rates of $39.90 and $7.98, respectively.

Consumption has been going down, Mavis Gensel, sewer clerk, said. There have been several years with no rate increases, should have had an increase, it should have gone up years ago, she stated. “When the money we are bringing in is less than the budget, it doesn’t work,” she added.

People are doing more water saving things, such as new toilets that use less water, which is great for the public but not for the sewer department, Gensel noted.

Selectmen also approved the proposed 2023 sewer budget of $1,243,464 which is $135,233 more than the current spending plan of $1,108,231 – a 12.2% increase.

Most of the increase, $98,539 comes from additional costs for sludge disposal.

“It’s not pretty this year, the last couple years have been hard on everything,” Stephen Millett, Wastewater/Sewer superintendent, said. Costs for equipment, labor, parts have gone up, he noted.

Selectman Stephan Bunker asked what items were significantly different from last year. He noted wages had gone up.

“The Legislature passed a pair of bills, the first one disallowed bulky waste material coming in from out-of-state to be mixed in with the biosolids that these companies take in,” Millett said. “They don’t generate enough in the state of Maine to do that so they have to take it in from out-of-state. The state doesn’t want to do that anymore so they passed a law against it.”

Millett said alternatives are being worked on that may get the state through the next few years.

“At best it’s a short term solution, going to have to do something more long term,” Millett said. “Wood chips have been discussed, are not really big enough. They don’t have the bulk to stabilize the landfill with the equipment going on it. They use couches, refrigerators, freezers, stuff like that, flatten them down to paper thin and put the biosolids on top of that.”

Farmington has a contract with Casella through 2025 to take the town’s biosolids, Millett said. Casella has handed down two different increases in the last 18 months, he noted. Biosolids can’t be composted, landfills have been shut off and they are now being shipped out-of-state, he stated. Costs have gone from averages of $4,000 to $6,000 per month to $11,000 to $14,000 per month for biosolid disposal, a huge difference, he added.

In other business, Selectmen granted permission for the Farmington Historical Society (FHS) to use grant funds to construct a trail around Riverside Cemetery.

FHS is submitting a grant to the Onion Foundation which created an Equitable Outdoor Access grant this year to get Maine people with disabilities engaged in community outdoor group activities, Jane Woodman, FHS president, said. Fritz Onion, a Mt. Blue High School graduate and his wife, Susan created the foundation, she added.

“Those dependent on wheelchairs or living with other temporary or permanent mobility, hearing, vision. and/or other problems can enjoy a safe, wide pathway with space to visit and converse while walking,” Woodman stated.

Agencies that work with those populations have been consulted about the project, have written letters of support, Woodman said.

Two interior roads will be upgraded and a wheelchair friendly parking area installed, at no cost to the town, Woodman noted. Having the existing roadways will make the project very cost effective, she said.

Grant funds haven’t been awarded yet, the amount received will determine how far the road upgrades will go, Woodman noted. E.L. Vining has provided a quote of $20,658 to scrape off the grassy areas in the middle of the roads and install four inches of crusher dust, while an additional four inch gravel base would cost $12,375 more, she said.

The trail will create equitable outdoor access for families, caretakers, educators and more to enjoy Maine’s outdoor environment and learn about the early settlers of Farmington, its war veterans, genealogists can seek ancestor gravesites or one can enjoy nature itself, Woodman said.

“It will be a nice improvement,” Selectman Chair Matthew Smith said.

Earlier in the meeting, Smith was re-elected as chair, Bunker as vice chair, and Selectman Byron Staples as secretary.

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