The Wiscasset Board of Selectmen will discuss a potential bottle-bin policy for the transfer station at its meeting Tuesday, Sept. 2.
Selectman William Barnes raised the issue recently about who decides what nonprofits can have a returnable bottle bin. Interim Town Manager Don Gerrish told the selectmen Aug. 5 that he has not been able to find a policy about how these decisions are made.
The American Legion, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, the St. Philip’s Episcopal Church food pantry, the town of Wiscasset, and the Wiscasset Heat cheering squad currently have bins.
Selectman Tim Merry indicated the town should allow the nonprofits to collect bottles at the transfer station. “They have been doing it for years,” he said.
Selectman Pam Dunning agreed the town needs a policy in fairness to other nonprofits that may want to have a bin at the transfer station.
Barnes, who has a bottle redemption at Mike’s Log Cabin, said he collects the bottles from the Boothbay Transfer Station, and the revenue from the bottle redemption is paid to the town and used to lower the transfer station budget. “I think that is what we should do also,” Barnes said.
Barnes suggested postponing a decision on a bottle-bin policy until the new town manager takes over. The new town manager, Marian Anderson, will be on board the middle of this month.
Gerrish told the board the town’s bottle bin from the transfer station brings in about $4,000 a year.
Wiscasset American Legion Cmdr. William Cossette told the selectmen the funds collected from the bottles help many people in town.
Selectman Ben Rines suggested that the town not allow any additional bottle bins to be put at the transfer station until a policy is adopted.
Gerrish said, “I have already done that. There will be no more bins added until after a policy has been adopted.”
