Selectmen disagreed on Tuesday, May 11 on whether or not to accept a proposed $5,000 surcharge from Richmond for waste disposal.

“I don’t like this at all,” said board member Gerald Lilly. He said residents already pay a fee to Richmond to dispose of construction debris, metal, mattresses, brush, appliances and tires, items not processed by Dresden recycling. 

Selectman Allan Moeller disagreed. He said in his 30 years working for Richmond, the town lost money disposing of the items not accepted at the Dresden transfer station. “The problem is brush and demolition debris,” he said. Richmond lacks a weigh scale, so contractors routinely dispose of large volumes of waste and only pay the base fee, said Moeller.

“I would like to negotiate with them,” said Moeller. He said the surcharge would likely be less than cleaning up roadside dumping.

In other business, the board agreed on wording to be published in the town’s newsletter. The wording involves proposed increases in the Regional School Unit 2 budget. The notice will include figures that estimate the increase in property taxes as $167-$200 for a homestead valued at $200,000. 

“We would like to the school board to negotiate,” said Moeller.

Town Administrator Mike Faass presented the board with a letter of resignation by RSU 2 board member Jeff Pierce. Selectman John Rzasa suggested the town advertise to fill the one-year remainder of Pierce’s term.

The board agreed to ask residents through the newsletter if they would like to move the annual town meeting from Saturday morning to Tuesday evening. A similar survey presented last year yielded a light, inconclusive response, according to the board.

If approved at town meeting, the $3.2 million annual budget will raise the tax rate from $18.80 to $19.10 per thousand dollars of assessed valuation, according to Faass. The board sent a draft of the budget back to Faass to recheck the totals.

The board agreed to cover invoices up to $2,000 for Summerfest, set for Sunday, July 11.

Resident Dave Probert said Pownalborough Courthouse will host a Memorial Day ceremony.