The Boothbay Region Refuse Disposal District Board of Trustees approved a fiscal year 2015 budget request to the towns that is 1.98 percent, roughly $20,000, higher than its 2014 budget subsidy request.

Each town’s subsidy share is calculated using data on taxable sales, population and property valuation. Boothbay Harbor will see its dump subsidy increase by $8,755, Boothbay by $5, 315, Southport by $5,172 and Edgecomb by $856 (see Table 1).

That isn’t to say the district’s budget is only up 2 percent. In December, Refuse District Manager Steve Lewis said the district’s cost for disposing of trash and construction debris, as well as its heating oil and fuel costs, are all expected to rise. The fiscal year 2015 budget Lewis provided to the Board of Trustees totals $1,558,868, roughly $48,000 more than 2014.

Rather than pass on the entire increase to taxpayers, the board endorsed Lewis’ proposal to raise some disposal fees to offset some of the increased expenditures. Under the new budget, it will cost an extra $10 per ton to dispose shingles, sheet rock and other construction and bulky waste and an extra $5 per bucket load of wood chips.

The Refuse District also expects to save money in fiscal year 2015 by switching to a new health insurance plan for employees. The Maine Municipal Association plan has a higher deductible and co-pays, but premiums are significantly lower. The insurance coverage change is expected to reduce the district’s employee medical insurance costs from $143,000 in fiscal year 2014 to $106,000 in fiscal year 2015. Lewis said $20,000 of those savings will be earmarked for an employees’ health savings account to cover the higher deductibles.

“We will work to have the health insurance changes in place by March 1,” Lewis said. “We will save about 25 percent in our premium costs.”

Waste oil burner a no-go

Lewis had suggested a waste oil furnace for the garage to protect the loader, fork lift and other vehicles from freezing temperatures.

“I’ve done a lot of investigating,” Lewis told the board, “and I can tell you now it would cost a lot of money. I love the idea of it but with that cost it’s not doable.”

Lewis said a waste oil furnace would cost from $16,000 to $18,000 and would require a great deal of maintenance.

Lewis suggested a propane heater would be a less costly alternative, but the board was not convinced that heat was necessary for the garage.

“I’m questioning why we’re doing this,” Southport Trustee Rob Hopkins said. “The place is wide open during the day and the staff have a place to keep warm.”

The other board members agreed that, in light of the new recycling building costs and other expenses ahead, a heater for the garage should be revisited at another time.

Money in wood

Over the Christmas holiday, Lewis said a customer reported losing $1,000 in the woodpile.

Later employee Mike Wells noticed a $100 bill  when he was tarping a load of wood chips to haul to MB Bark. He investigated more and turned up $400 total, which he returned to a very grateful local resident. Lewis said he later received an envelope from MB Bark with two more, mangled, partially shredded $100 bills, which would also be returned.

“I always said there was money in wood,” Lewis quipped.