The Jefferson and Nobleboro boards of selectmen convened for the annual meeting of the Nobleboro-Jefferson Transfer Station the evening of Wednesday, Dec. 28.
During the meeting, the selectmen, who make up the transfer station’s governing council, approved the facility’s 2017 budget.
The budget will result in a 4.77 percent decrease in the contributions for each of the five towns that use the station – Jefferson and Nobleboro, which own the station; and Bremen, Damariscotta, and Newcastle.
Nobleboro Selectman Dick Spear said an increase in recycling, thanks to the efforts of the station’s manager, Barry Howell, and his staff, aided in lowering refuse disposal costs.
“Our tonnage (of trash) has dropped a little bit and we are not shipping as much out,” Spear said.
He said Lincoln County Recycling in Wiscasset has started a program to accept organic waste – compost – that has further reduced tonnage.
Spear said the use of surplus also helped keep costs down for the five towns.
The 2017 budget totals $470,497, a decrease of $15,068 or 3.1 percent. The use of $70,000 from surplus lowered the amount necessary to raise from the towns to $400,497, a decrease of $20,068 or 4.77 percent.
Bremen will pay $42,052, a $2,108 decrease from last year; Damariscotta will pay $115,744, a $5,799 decrease; Jefferson will pay $89,711, a $4,496 decrease; Newcastle will pay $94,517, a $4,736 decrease; and Nobleboro will pay $58,473, a $2,929 decrease.
Each town’s contribution is calculated using a formula based on population, as well as Nobleboro and Jefferson’s status as owners of the facility.
Damariscotta contributes 28.9 percent of the budget, Newcastle 23.6 percent, Jefferson 22.4 percent, Nobleboro 14.6 percent, and Bremen 10.5 percent.
Changes to specific budget items include a decrease in hauling fees. The station is budgeting $110,000 for the fees, a decrease of $2,000 or 1.79 percent.
The station plans to spend $135,000 on dumping fees, a decrease of $12,000 or 8.16 percent.
Spear said representatives of Bremen, Damariscotta, and Newcastle attended the meeting.
