By Dawn De Busk

Staff Writer

NAPLES — Before signing the renewal of a 20-year agreement for the transfer station shared with the Town of Casco, Naples selectmen talked about the ins and outs of the agreement and the history of the service.

People still refer to it as the dump.

Officially, the operation has two areas, each with a separate entrance. The proper names of the areas are the Casco-Naples Transfer Site and the Casco-Naples Bulky Waste Facility.

Now, the elected officials of both towns have signed the agreement. Going forward, the operations will appear as one on paper, making it easier and less costly when reviewed by auditors.

For residents, the services provided will remain the same. Likewise, the layout of the property will be status quo.

“We are equal owners in the facility,” Naples Town Manager Ephrem Paraschak said. He added that the Town of Casco owns the land off Leach Hill Road but the towns have equal ownership in the buildings and equipment.

Entering into the agreement had already been approved by residents at town meetings in Naples and in Casco.

On Monday, the Naples Board of Selectmen talked for a while about the withdrawal clause.

According to Paraschak, although the agreement has a 20-year lifespan, there is a clause that allows either town to withdraw on a year-to-year basis.

It should be noted that town officials are not considering getting out of transfer station agreement, but that it was discussed because residents had heard that other options had been explored.

“I had inquiries from business owners,” Selectman Christine Powers said.

Paraschak explained.

“Last year, a company on Songo School Road approached us,” he said, adding that the company had offered its facility and its employees.

The company located in Naples is called Think Green Songo Locks.

It never panned out, Paraschak said.

“Every couple years, we review it. Sometimes, sometimes, we have asked for people to take over the operation but it never worked out,” Selectman Dana Watson said.

Watson has been involved with the Casco-Naples Transfer Station Council since it began 20 years ago. The council has representation from both towns.

Typically, the price being offered is not lower than the cost of running the jointly-owned transfer station.

Powers expressed concerns about the future of ecomaine.

Watson said that the Casco-Naples operation could opt to have the household trash and recycling transported to another waste-disposal facility.

Chairman Bob Caron II asked if there would be an expense to the Town of Naples to pull out of the agreement.

“The town of Naples is not locked in for 20 years by any means,” Paraschak said.

Caron repeated he just wanted to know how expensive it might be to withdraw from the agreement.

Powers responded to Paraschak’s comment, asking “Why is it a 20-year contract, if we can get out of it anytime?”

Her question was not immediately or directly answered.

According to Paraschak, the cost would involve lawyer fees. He did not comment on whether or not the agreement had any sort of fine or fee connected to a withdrawal.

Earlier in the discussion, before the motion to sign the document was on the floor, Watson had said the first agreement was for a 20-year period and so the towns were following precedence by signing the agreement renewal for the same number of years.