Greenville selectmen to review solid waste disposal costs

Staff Report

    GREENVILLE — The Greenville Board of Selectmen voted last week to let the town’s rubbish contractor and Town Manager John Simko review the municipal waste disposal contracts and bring any recommended changes to the next meeting.

    There are three separate contracts that need to be executed for services provided by Sean Bolen’s company, Moosehead Rubbish.
    Selectmen also agreed by consensus to track non-Greenville waste tonnage from August to December 2014 and negotiate payment to Bolen for hauling waste material during this time frame as outlined in the draft contract, according to minutes of the Oct. 15 meeting.
    The board also encouraged the Simko to revisit a cost-sharing arrangement with the towns of Beaver Cove and Shirley as well as Piscataquis County for use of the town’s transfer station.
    On a somewhat related note, the closed municipal landfill has some deficiencies identified by the Department of Environmental Protection during the agency’s May 2013 site visit, which Simko said the town is in the process of correcting. “The weather and circumstances have worked against our public works crew and our hired contractor, but both are expected to button up the project next week,” Simko wrote.
    Simko praised public works foreman Mark Bernier for his diligence in overcoming obstacles in this project such as weather and material testing to still get the job done in a timely manner.
    The board also voted unanimously to host a legislative candidate forum on Wednesday, Oct. 29 at 6 p.m. in the municipal building meeting hall and invite the candidates for House and Senate seats from Piscataquis County to attend.
    The board will present a list of legislative positions or concerns as drafted by the town manager and amended by the Board of Selectmen via email between now and the date of the forum.
    Piscataquis county legislative candidates include Republican Paul Stearns, who is running unopposed for House District 119 which includes Greenville; Republican Norman Higgins and Democrat Donald Crossman, running for House District 120; Republican State Rep. Ray Wallace and Democrat David Pearson, running for House District 104; and Republican State Rep. Paul Davis and Democrat David Ziemer, running for Senate District 4.
    Selectmen approved the appointment of two reserve police officers: Keith Brann of Whitefield and Michael Jewett of Glenburn; and, following an executive session, acknowledged a very favorable performance by Simko in his first year of contracted employment as town manager. They approved the $1,000 per year raise included in his contract, retroactive to his anniversary date of Sept. 3.