Woolwich voters will have the final say on pay-per-bag at the May 7 annual town meeting.

Selectmen agreed Monday night to include a petitioned article that would require residents to pay for curbside pickup of non-recyclable trash; the petitioners had filed affidavits. The vote accepting the petition was 3-0. Selectmen Lloyd Coombs and Jason Shaw were absent.

The board decided on a two-part question, asking voters to dismiss the petitioned article in favor of considering one put forth by selectmen. The selectmen’s article eliminated a requirement for a one-year contract with the company hired to administer the program.

Moments after the meeting adjourned, Chairman David King Sr. learned from Town Administrator Lynette Eastman they could put the article in as one question. King said in order to make the change, the board needed the permission of the petition’s sponsor, Ben Tipton.

“Ben gave us permission before he left the meeting,” King said Tuesday morning.

Since the board had already adjourned, selectmen need to amend the pay-per-bag article at their next meeting April 19. King said the board will do so, to make the process easier for voters.

The selectmen’s article reads: “To see if the town will vote to adopt a pay-per-bag plan for non-recyclable trash, charging $2 per 30 gallon bag and $1 per 15 gallon bag and to authorize the selectboard to enter into a contract with a responsible company to administer the program. All revenues from the sale of the bags are to be receipted into the Solid Waste account to help defray the cost of the Municipal Solid Waste program.”

The petitioned article is the same, except that it states: to enter into a “one year contract” with a responsible company to administer the program.

King said it was the length on the contract that had the board concerned.

Selectman Allison Hepler said afterward she felt the best place for pay-per-bag to be decided was at town meeting where people could debate the article and make whatever amendments they wanted.

Selectman Dale Chadbourne told the newspaper he didn’t like it, but agreed it was fair. “They’ve been saying (Pay As You Throw) has cut down on the town’s trash tonnage but their figures don’t tell the whole story. There were plenty of people who avoided buying the bags by simply burning their trash.”

During the meeting Don Adams asked selectmen where the pay-per-bag article would appear on the warrant. King responded it would be in the middle of the warrant, the same place as last year when voters narrowly approved PAYT, administered by WasteZero of North Andover, Massachusetts.

A week ago, in response to a legal opinion, selectmen sent the pay-per-bag petition back to the town clerk for circulator affidavits. The required affidavits didn’t accompany the petition Tipton submitted March 16.

Separate legal opinions from Maine Municipal Association and Kristin Collins, the town’s attorney, stated selectmen could pursue several options including rejecting the petition because pay-per-bag has been voted on twice in the last year. They could have chosen to delay action or to hold a special meeting to reinstate PAYT.

Other business

Acting EMS director Julia Gillespie told selectmen Woolwich ambulance personnel had responded to 22 of 24 calls for assistance since her last report to the board.

Gillespie said the department had also added to its membership. She noted that she had recently met with Toby Martin, Wiscasset’s new ambulance director, representatives from North East Mobile Health Services and Sagadahoc County dispatch to improve communications between the departments.

The board renewed a contract with North East Mobile Health Services for another three years.

Acting Fire Chief Geoff McCarren said the fire department had responded to eight calls including the motor vehicle accident on the Route 1 viaduct in Bath.

The town office will be closed Monday, April 18 in observance of Patriots Day.