The Boothbay Region Refuse Disposal District will close at noon on Christmas Eve, December 24 and New Year's Eve, December 31. It will be closed on Christmas, December 25 and New Year's Day, January 1.

The facility will open at 7 a.m. on December 26 and January 2, a practice begun this year on the days following a holiday when the district is closed.

Operations Manager Steve Lewis said that the non-profit waste management company, Eco-Maine, contacted him again recently. The Portland-based company is interested in purchasing the district's cardboard and residential mixed paper - for $10 per ton.

Said Lewis, "I maintain my position from last year, we are fine as we are. We currently get $101 per ton - why would we want to lose money on our own product?"

The representative from Eco-Maine offered to do a cost analysis of the operation to ascertain whether it would behoove the district to go single-stream recycling.

"I said, so, you won't be paying us anything for our product, we are going to ship it to you in Portland - and then you are going to turn around and sort it and sell it. I am going to have to lay off three guys and this is going to make me look good - how?"

Lewis said that right now recycling prices are high, but, if they go down, the district would end up absorbing some of their operating costs.

"I think that single-stream recycling is a good thing, but, for a district like us, that is already set up to process and sell/market our product, it is not cost effective for us to do it," Lewis said.

Trustee member Palmer Payne made a motion to go along with Lewis's position that it was not feasible at this time. All trustees voted in agreement.

The trustees discussed whether or not a new 12'x14' recycling office should be constructed.

Lewis reported a cost estimate of around $3,600 for a pre-made building. The idea is to put a new building where the old one currently is in the recycling center.

Employees use the space to escape the cold, for lunch and breaks. The building has a propane heater that would be used in a new office.

Additionally, the trustees discussed installing a vertical baler, cost estimate - $5,000 including installation. The baler would enable the district to combine and compact mixed paper and magazines.

Lewis said that the district is currently losing a revenue stream of about $20,000 (based on current pricing) by not baling and selling the recycling themselves and continuing to send it to Lincoln County Recycling.

However, the baler cannot be installed until the old recycling office is removed.

Trustee Mike Leighton said he would price construction costs for a stick-built and report back to the board at the January meeting.

Employee William Johnson was promoted to the position of assistant foreman. The position comes with an hourly rate increase and a probationary period of six months, following which, there will be another .50 raise.

The trustees voted in favor of increasing holiday bonuses by $25 for all employees except new hires. The latter would receive the standard $50 bonus.

The next meeting will be held on Thursday, January 10 at 5 p.m. at the district office.