By Dawn De Busk

Staff Writer

CASCO — The Casco/Naples Transfer Site and Bulky Waste Station have been in operation for 20 years.

The day-to-day operations will continue. Everything will be the same for the residents who get rid of their household trash and other unwanted items.

However, a change will happen on paper. That’s because the towns of Naples and Casco are renewing their agreement for the shared municipal facilities.

The goal is for the two facilities to be treated as one facility, according to the town managers in Casco and Naples.

At future town meetings, residents in both towns will be voting on warrant articles to permit a renewal of the long-standing agreement.

“When bulky waste and the transfer station were set up, it happened at different times. They have two audits, two sets of financials. When the agreement expires, it makes sense to combine them into one,” Naples Town Manager Ephrem Paraschak said.

“It makes more sense to do one audit, have one set of financials,” he said.

For Naples residents, Warrant Article 51 will authorize the selectmen to enter into the joint Solid Waste Management Agreement with the Town of Casco.

“The reason that the Warrant Article says that selectmen will be allowed to do the agreement, is it (the agreement) is not ready yet,” Paraschak said.

Naples will hold its Town Meeting on Wednesday, 7 p.m. in the gymnasium of Town Hall.

Casco Town Meeting is slated for a week later, June 15. The two-town agreement for solid waste management will be addressed in Warrant Article 29.

“Article 29 is a renewal of our legal arrangement for solid waste facility. Our initial contract with them expires. We are renewing it. It will read a little differently,” Casco Town Manager Dave Morton said.

“Twenty years ago when we started this process we had no models to follow,” he said. “We were a leader in solid waste management.”

“When we originally set it up, we had two agreements like for two businesses: the bulky waste and the household trash and recycling,” he said.

“We will combine it. This will eliminate one audit. We think this will streamline it,” Morton said.

“The agreement is really between the towns of Casco and Naples to continue the contract,” Morton said. “As far as the public going in and using the facility, that won’t change.”