Lincoln tire fee creates resident concern

LINCOLN – A half-dozen residents Monday night spoke out against the town’s month-old tire disposal fee.

In a related item, the Town Council tabled discussion on a motion that would have created a waiver of tire disposal fees on vehicles for which residents pay excise tax to the town.

As it was passed during a November council meeting, the amended town ordinance would charge residents and businesses $3 to dispose of tires under 19 inches at the transfer station, $8 for tires over 19 inches and $25 for equipment tires such as those on skidders or loaders.

After taking effect on Dec. 10, the ordinance was supposed to shift the cost of disposal to the people who actually bring the tires to the town’s transfer station.

Many of those speaking at Monday night’s meeting felt the fees were too high. With 100 passenger tires in a ton and a cost of disposal at $65 a ton, the cost of disposing a single passenger car tire is closer to 65 cents, according to Michael Tompkins, owner of Mike’s Auto Repair in Lincoln.

“I’m not sure why the town of Lincoln wants to make money off of this,” Tompkins said.

Councilor Jim Libby said he was opposed to the fee, but defended it by saying the fees were the minimum charged by any nearby town. Libby also added that with transportation of the tires to a disposal facility, the actual disposal cost is probably closer to $2 per passenger tire.

Libby also supported waiving the fees for Lincoln residents. Under a proposed motion Monday night, a resident would receive a voucher for the number of tires on a car when the car was excised. Subsequently, a resident could dispose of that number of tires for free. Councilor Roderick Carr believed the motion should be reworked due to the fact that someone who registered their car in November of last year would have to pay to dispose of any tires until next November.

The council voted unanimously to table the motion until it could be discussed further.

In another item, the town council tabled a motion to amend its agreement with Howland for mutual aid. Howland Fire Chief Phil Dawson came to the meeting to request that the council authorize the Lincoln Fire Department to assist Howland in interior rescues in the unorganized territory of Mattamiscontis. Howland provides fire coverage for Mattamiscontis, and Lincoln has a mutual aid agreement with Howland, but Lincoln legally would require a written agreement with Mattamiscontis before it can respond there, according to Town Manager Glenn Aho.

The county commissioners serve as administrators for Mattamiscontis and the council opted to table the motion until Aho has a chance to talk to the commissioners about a possible agreement.