Oxford Select Board Chairman Floyd Thayer makes a point during board’s Arpil 3 business meeting. Also pictured: VIce-Chair Dana Dillingham Nicole Carter/Advertiser Democrat

OXFORD — Selectmen awarded Oxford’s 2025-2026 propane contract to C.N. Brown of South Paris. The board had already voted last month to go with C.N. Brown for its other fuel contracts.

However, with the propane tank currently in use at the transfer station belonging to Dead River selectmen tabled a decision on the propane. Since then, C.N. Brown confirmed it will swap it with one of its own tanks also located there.

As directed by the Select Board, Town Manager Adam Garland is working to ensure that going forward Oxford owns all tanks on municipal properties.

Amerigas owns the tanks at Town Office, which are about 25 years old, and will sell them for $5,000 each. A quote from C.N. Brown to sell and install tanks to Oxford is pending.

Garland said he will make sure that Dead River credits Oxford for any unused propane in the tank being replaced at the transfer station.

The board voted to award transportation of its 50-foot trailer with demolition and bulky waste to 207 Waste, LLC of Poland at $235/ton.

It also rejected bids from 207 Waste, Grimmel Industries and Casella Waste Systems for hauling its regular compacted trash in a 100-foot container and directed Garland to repost the RFP.

Grimmel’s bid did not list Oxford’s contracted waste vendor, Maine Waste-to-Energy of Auburn, as the destination. Casella Waste Systems submitted its bid after the RFP deadline had passed.

Vice-Chair Dana Dillingham stated the rate increases are too high compared to Oxford’s current fees.

207 Waste representative Sam Learned explained that its bid for regular waste is increasing because last year the wait-time to unload at Mid-Maine Waste increased from about 15 minutes a trip to as much as two hours.

“It’s not fair for us to add that fee onto you without you approving it,” he explained. “That’s why the rate has gone up so much. Our time is that money.”

Other business

In other business, selectmen approved using $101,850 from the sewer department reserve account to replace 600 of the wastewater facility’s 2,400 membranes later this year.

Sewer Department Superintendent Zhenya Schevchenko said that after 10 years of use, the membranes are near end-of-life. He anticipates delivery during the summer and that it will take about three weeks to complete the work.

The board also approved four property tax abatement applications totaling $3,004 and voted to deny one, as recommended by Tax Assessor Colleen Halse.