The town of Jefferson will hold a special town meeting on July 5 at 6 p.m. at the town office to vote on the acceptance of a grant for the proposed recycling drop-off facility.
The recycling facility as discussed would be at the sand and salt shed on Rt. 126 in Jefferson. Early estimates put the total cost of the project at around $30,000. The grant, from the Maine State Planning Office, would cover $22,896.
In order to accept the money, the town must receive voter support. The special town meeting will request authorization to accept the grant and authorization to use up to $8000 from surplus funds for the project.
The cost of the project will likely change as the costs of various aspects of the facility are finalized.
If the recycling facility is created, Lincoln County Recycling will pick up the items collected there for free, town officials said. The only cost, once the site is established, will be for an attendant during the hours the facility is open.
The first year of the attendant is estimated to cost about $2080; the Nobleboro/Jefferson Transfer Station will cover the first year cost of the attendant, town officials said.
Along with environmental benefits, the purpose of the facility is to reduce the tonnage collected at the transfer station, Jefferson Selectman Robert “Jigger” Clark has said at various times over the last few months. Clark has spearheaded the project.
By placing a recycling facility closer to residents’ homes, the town hopes to decrease the amount of recycling thrown away with garbage, thereby reducing the cost of the transfer station.
This year, Jefferson’s share of the transfer station budget is $105,750, Town Clerk Lynne Bond said.
Bond said that for many residents with curbside trash pick-up, there is no curbside recycling, so recyclables are often thrown away. “If we can reduce our tonnage, we can save the town a lot of money,” Bond said.
