By Dawn De Busk

Staff Writer

NAPLES— It seems elected officials in the towns of Casco and Naples have been talking trash a lot lately.

The Casco-Naples Bulky Waste Facility and Transfer Site was not on this week’s agenda. But the topic took up some time at the end of the Naples Select Board meeting.

Three weeks ago, the bids were opened for construction projects that townspeople had approved funding for two years ago.

On Monday, Naples Select Board member Colin Brackett sought clarification about what took place at the Feb. 22 transfer station council meeting.

In addition, to recapping the council’s vote and reasoning behind why the bid was awarded the way it was, the group learned that the town will not be able to outsource its bulky waste services.

Town officials had been hoping that Casella Waste Managements, Inc. could handle the citizens’ bulky waste needs.

But that solution is off the table. 

The conversation kicked off at the end of Monday’s meeting when Selectman Brackett said, “I am curious about the decision that took place. There is confusion on what was allowed by the (transfer station) council.”

Selectman Stephen LaPointe, who serves on the council, went over the group’s options once the three separate bids were opened.

“The $1.6 million was bonded and in a bank. That money was authorized for use for the bulky waste and transfer site,” LaPointe said.

The council had to decide how to stay within the $1.6 million bond budget and not ask taxpayers for more money, he said.

In the end, the council voted to do the bulky waste upgrades ($647,000) and the stormwater work ($275,000), which was being required by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). J Pratt Construction was awarded the bid, he said.

Basically, on Feb. 22, the council requested that Sebago Technics return with a revised sketch of changes to the transfer station that matched a $600,000 budget. That was the remaining money after subtracting the cost of stormwater work and the bulky waste bid.

There had been expectations from some council members that the engineer’s news sketches might only take a couple weeks.

Naples Town Manager Jason Rogers said the Sebago Technic engineer said it would take him two weeks to get down to the transfer station to walk the premise.

Most likely, the engineer’s sketches would be another six weeks away, Rogers said.

Also, the transfer site council had been waiting on cost estimates from Casella Waste Management, he said. The idea was to outsource the bulky waste services while construction is taking place.

That is no longer an option, Rogers said.

“In talking with the Casella rep it is cost prohibitive. The amount of road work that would have to be happen in order for them to handle our bulky waste . . .” he said. 

“As it stands right now, there is no a cost-effective alternative,” Rogers said.

He put forward some possible solutions

“One option is: We can roll in temporary Dumpsters for bulky waste at the renovation area. Town folks still have opportunity to go to Casella and drop off bulky waste at their own cost,” Rogers said. “And we need to  communicate to town where to take the bulky waste.”

Thirteen to 16 weeks is the estimated amount of time that bulky waste will be closed for construction.

One thing that keeps getting brought up is: The town is not legally required to provide bulky waste services to citizens.

“Two years ago, we floated the bond. The upper half [transfer site] looks like a demolition derby. Two years, it has been an engineering problem. This whole waiting, waiting, waiting thing is smoking mirrors,” Select Board member Bill Adams said.

“We don’t have to offer bulky waste. Look at the towns around us: Raymond, Windham, Gorham, Westbrook,” Adams said.

Town Manager Rogers said there is a desire to expedite the process. For one, the bond money in the bank is losing value, he said.

“The contractor was informed he would be awarded the contact. He didn’t accept any work this spring so he could be available for this project,” Rogers said. 

Audience member Ed Cash said, “The operation needs to change.”

Rogers responded.

“As the by-laws are written, the Transfer Station Council oversees the project. That is the vehicle for making change.”