Selectmen agree to sell scrap metal, hold off decision on tires, newsprint

SEARSPORT — The Board of Selectmen on Tuesday agreed to sell scrap metal stored at the dump to Industrial Metal Recycling of Oakland for $1 per ton, but postponed a decision on the removal of old tires and newspaper.

Town Manager Donald Grant said Wednesday that while the scrap metal deal was cut and dried, the board felt a few things needed to be ironed out on the other proposals before a deal could be made.

Grant said the board “put off any decision” on tire removal because of the cost. He said that although the town had unloaded 1,500 tires at $2.50 apiece last year, the board wanted additional time to review this year’s proposal.

Grant said independent haulers had offered to remove tires under 20 inches in diameter for $1 each. Tires above that size would cost $4.25. Grant said that if approved, the tires would be taken to Sawyer Environmental where they would be ground into fuel for Champion International.

“We had 1,500 removed earlier but that pile has a way of building quickly,” Grant said.

As to the issue of newspapers, Grant said that while selectmen remained committed to shipping them to Brooks poultry farmer Dave Roche, the selectmen had yet to decide whether buying a truck to haul the papers or storing them in trailers would be the cheaper.

“Right now they are leaning toward buying two trailers instead of a truck,” Grant said. “They figure that with two trailers they can leave one here and the other at Dave’s. That way we wouldn’t be running back and forth.”

Roche plans to use the newspapers for bedding material in his barns. Under the proposal, the town would pay Roche $1.50 per ton to take the newsprint off its hands.

Grant pointed out that in the event the town accepted Roche’s offer, residents would have to separate colored paper and magazines from their old papers. He said colored and coated papers were unsuitable for use by Roche.

“Some people will bother to sort their paper, some won’t,” said Grant. “It’s unfortunate. But some people will mix them together. … They will hide it in the bundles and he will have to deal with it.”

In other action, selectmen accepted a Camden National Bank bid for a $740,000 tax anticipation loan at an interest rate of 5.99 percent. The loan will become due Dec. 31, 1991.

The town also announced that the following had filed nomination papers for town offices. The election will be held March 22.

Board of Selectmen: for two open three-year terms; Donald J. Ruttenberg, Granville H. Gross, Ronald A. Cook and Arthur J. Koch Sr.

SAD 56 School Board: two three-year terms; Maxine E. Engstrom, and Glenn A. McFadden.

Budget Committee: nine two-year terms; Thomas W. Calderwood, Frederick R. Carlson, Roy C. Dakin Jr., Peter S. Goodwin, Clarence I. Hamilton, Myron E. Herson, Richard S. Horowitz, Ralph E. Jewell, William J. Koch, Priscilla E. Mace, Charles S. Martin, John F. McGowan, Leroy F. Hoody, Terry K. Otis, Charles O. Plourde, Frank S. Rivers, Barbara W. Rudder, Linda E. Smith, John E. Stauffer, and Drexell R. White.