HOULTON, Maine — Town Officials this week approved the renewal of a solid waste management contract between Pine Tree Waste Services Inc. and the municipality.
The contract runs from Jan. 1, 2018, through Dec. 31, 2024.
The agreement with Pine Tree was supposed to expire last year, but a one year extension was worked out.
The new contract is identical to the one the town had previously, according to former Town Manager Butch Asselin. The rate schedule has changed, however.
According to the document, fee for curbside pickup services between 2018 and 2024 will increase by 2 ½ percent each year. Costs for drop off service will increase seven cents per bag for the first five years and eight cents for the remaining two years.
Current rates for curbside service vary depending on the number of people in the household and number of bags, but is $28 per month for one person with up to six bags collected every other week.
Drop off service requires the consumer to pay $3.10 per bag.
Asselin said that he was told by officials at Pine Tree that some cost reductions were expected next year, but the amount of savings customers may see is not yet known. He said that Pine Tree planned to pass the savings on to their consumers.
Councilors unanimously agreed to approve the contract.
