KINGFIELD -– Members of the Kingfield-New Portland Transfer Station Committee met last Tuesday, Nov. 10.

Transfer station manager Peter Gardner opened the meeting providing his report. An unanticipated breakdown occurred to the station’s front-end loader. A hydraulic line broke, which could typically be repaired in-house, Gardner said, however based on the specialty of this part a John Deere technician needed to be called.

Another issue discussed that evening was the ongoing dialog with the Maine Department of Environmental Protection. The manager said that he’s been working diligently to meet ongoing requests from the state agency.

Members of the committee said that they feel too much effort was given to an ongoing punch list that was overly regulated by the DEP. Members said they wanted to free up some of Gardner’s time and asked him to refer to some of the ongoing questions generated by the DEP representative to Administrative Assistant Doug Marble.

Kingfield selectmen Neal McCurdy said to say that the board has directed him talk to Marble.

Members also reviewed changes made to the updated Transfer Station Ordinance.

New Portland selectmen Janet White noted that pricing was taken out of the ordinance and now included in an operations manual. That way if pricing changes on things such as tires and refrigerators occurred, a town meeting would not be required to adopt a new ordinance.

Members discussed their relationship with Sandy River Recycling Association and their contract with the association, whether it existed or not between them.

Due to a commodity price decline and continued decrease in material, SRRA raised its price from $35 a ton to transport and process recyclable material to $45 a ton next year.

SRRA president Jo Josephson said in a letter to its members that old corrugated containers once sold for $111 a ton and # 2 plastic was once sold at $841 a ton. “Cardboard is currently selling for $76 a ton and plastic for $461 a ton,” Josephson said.

In an ongoing debate over who controls transfer station staff, Kingfield Selectman Merv Wilson clarified the issue by bringing to the meeting a past letter received.

The letter dating back to 1992 from the Maine Municipal Association was sent to selectman at the time Jack McKee.

Currently the Town of Kingfield handles the payroll services for employees and Hermon pointed out that control of such employees belongs to Kingfield officials and not a transfer station committee.

“Under this type of interlocal agreement, no legal entity is being created so the committee doesn’t have the necessary status to be an employer,” Hermon wrote.

The MMA agent said the committee could make recommendations on things such as hiring, the interview process and advertising for positions, but the legal responsibility of any employee lies with Kingfield officials.

The committee has no corporate existence…,” Herman wrote.

Three members of the committee were not present that evening. A representative from the county and two members from New Portland were not in attendance.