CARIBOU, Maine — Concerned that the city’s current representatives on the Tri-Community Landfill Board will move hastily in a merger with Presque Isle, Caribou Councilors voted on Aug. 14 to remove the two members and to have Mayor Gary Aiken act in their stead.
The Tri-Community Landfill, located in Fort Fairfield, serves 32 County towns, and its board consists of representatives from Caribou, Fort Fairfield, and Limestone.
Councilors have been apprehensive about a proposal to merge operations with the city of Presque Isle’s landfill since it was announced in early June. Several expressed concern that not enough information was available at the time to effectively determine the pros and cons of joining forces with Presque Isle.
Tri-Community Landfill Solid Waste Director Mark Draper told the Caribou Council in June that the merger would establish “interlocal collaborations between communities” and extend the life of the multi-town landfill. He also said the board would ensure the that the agreement did not cost current landfill owners more money.
Draper also told councilors in June that several aspects of the agreement needed to “be kept confidential,” as if “two businesses were negotiating.” Draper later said that the discussions were protected under the same state statutes that allow municipalities to use executive sessions to discuss certain deals before they are finalizes.
During the June meeting, Aiken raised concerns about that confidentiality, emphasizing that “we’re dealing with public entities.” He later requested more information regarding the pros and cons of the project, as well as financial projections.
Since then, Aiken said he hasn’t learned much.
“I’ve asked for a lot of financial information from Mark Draper, but I haven’t received it yet,” Aiken said. “I may receive it later.”
The mayor added that, during the last TCL meeting, he was told that councilors would have to change the interlocal agreement in order for the merger to be official.
City Manager Dennis Marker said the same during the Council’s Aug. 14 meeting.
“One of our attorneys informed us that, because the Tri-Community board was established by an interlocal agreement between communities, that agreement would have to be amended to allow another community into the partnership.”
“The lawyer you consulted is also their lawyer,” Aiken said. “I don’t know how they could’ve gone along with this without him telling them they can’t do what they’re doing.”
Marker said he received an email from Draper stating that while the “governing bodies” of Fort Fairfield, Limestone, and Caribou don’t have to endorse Presque Isle as a co-owner, members of these communities who sit on the TCL board would need to unanimously approve the merger.
Councilor David Martin said he’s “not too confident” about the merger.
“We should be sitting in a bargaining position,” Martin said, “and Presque Isle is dictating how they’re going to join us. I think we should replace the two members of the Tri-Community board from Caribou. I’ll make that a motion.”
“This is a big deal,” Martin said. “This is ownership.”
Councilor Joan Theriault agreed that the current members should be replaced.
Martin later amended his motion to appoint Mayor Gary Aiken to the board. Four councilors voted in favor of the motion while Nicole Cote and Philip McDonough voted against.
