Boothbay selectmen might take a play out of Edgecomb’s playbook by revisiting their tax increment financing agreement. Both towns want TIF funds to pay for town equipment, but recent inquiries had the same result: Both agreements require that TIF funds be used only for infrastructure within the district.

Edgecomb is trying to amend its TIF Sub Account agreement to allow expenditures for both infrastructure and municipal equipment.

Boothbay may try, too. On April 24, Selectman Steve Lewis attended the Edgecomb selectmen’s meeting as the Boothbay Region Refuse Disposal District (BRRDD) station manager. He heard how Edgecomb hired an attorney to discuss possible ways to amend its TIF agreement. Edgecomb wants to buy a new fire truck and began considering amending the agreement after learning Littleton in Aroostook County used TIF funds to buy a fire truck.

In recent years, Boothbay has sought unsuccessfully to use TIF funds for non-infrastructure projects.. When a Boothbay resident implored selectmen on April 25 to either repair or replace the two decades old Clifford Playground equipment, Lewis recommended taking another look at the town’s TIF agreement.

“I was in Edgecomb last night and they hired an Eaton Peabody lawyer to amend their TIF agreement. He thinks the town can use TIF to partially fund a fire truck. I think we should take another look at our TIF. There has to be a way to use those funds for the Clifford Park Playground Project,” he said. “To me, it’s just changing a couple words and getting it voted on.”

The Clifford Park Redevelopment Plan was proposed in November 2014. The project would expand the park from one Little League baseball field to three, creating more space for the soccer and lacrosse field, a playground, a dog park and walking trails. The proposal also calls for a lighted baseball diamond. Town officials’  TIF attorney advised them, municipal equipment didn’t qualify for TIF funds.

This resulted in selectmen postponing the project until another funding source appeared. In the meantime, selectmen are looking for a short-term solution to the aging playground equipment. The board received two inquiries about when the swing set and other equipment would be repaired or replaced. One was a text message sent to Selectman Dale Harmon. The other was from East Boothbay resident Jean Reese Gibson who attended the meeting. During the public forum, she described a swing set with rusted chains and broken seats.

“Young children are holding onto rusted chains because the vinyl covering is broken. The (vinyl covers’) edges are jagged and the seats are broken. I wouldn’t stand for allowing them to remain another five minutes,” she said.

Selectmen agreed, and approved immediately removing all three swing set chains. The board also directed Town Manager Dan Bryer to seek prices on new ones.

In other action, selectmen were updated on BRRDD’s recent purchase of Giles Rubbish, Inc. Leaving his selectman’s chair and addressing the board as an audience member, Lewis explained the $1.363 million buy. 

As station manager, Lewis reported he had previously met with the three other other district member select boards answering how the purchase impacted the towns. On April 19, district trustees voted unanimously to buy the Boothbay-based trash collection business. Giles will finance the purchase over 10 years. The district will make a $110,000 down payment due June 29. Monthly payments begin Aug. 1. The two parties agreed to a 3 percent interest rate. 

Besides the business, the district gets the plant which includes 22 acres, equipment and a new truck body for a chassis already purchased. Lewis expects the business to pay for itself and, in time, reduce taxpayers’ contributions to the district. Lewis and Giles negotiated the deal for the past three months.

“Dan (Giles) was looking to retire and I think he gave us a discount. We had our auditor look at the books for the past five years, and we’re confident this won’t cost taxpayers anything,” he said.

Lewis reported the purchase had two major benefits. One is keeping the business in local hands. Second, if Giles sold to a big corporation, the refuse district would lose recycling revenue and disposal revenue. “He really wanted his eight employees to keep their jobs so that’s why it was important for him to find a local owner. For us, we retain revenue we already generated by Giles transporting trash and recyclables to the district.”

Under the agreement, the district will maintain refuse pickup in Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor, Edgecomb and Southport. The district may continue Giles’ remaining routes for 30 to 60 days in Wiscasset, Alna and Westport Island. “If he needs more time selling these routes then we have a gentlemen’s agreement to maintain these for a very short time,” Lewis said.

Selectmen will meet next at 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 9 in the municipal conference room.