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Biddeford, Maine, Mayor Wants Closure of City's Trash Incinerator Delayed

Posted on: Wednesday, 14 September 2005, 00:00 CDT

Sep. 13--BIDDEFORD -- Mayor Wallace Nutting threw a wrench into efforts to close the city's trash incinerator Monday by saying he wants to delay a citywide vote scheduled for November.

The first-term mayor earlier supported holding a Nov. 8 vote on whether to borrow up to $10 million as Biddeford's share of a potential $28 million buyout. The City Council approved the referendum in two unanimous votes last month.

But Nutting offered a different opinion Monday, saying he'd like to see the vote delayed until June 2006.

He explained that voters cannot know how much it would cost them to close the Maine Energy Recovery Co. until the city agrees to a contract with the incinerator's owner. A deal is not expected to be reached before November.

"For me, the matter of first importance is a contract that is good for the city of Biddeford," Nutting said. "And the bond referendum comes somewhere after that."

The mayor's comments came the same day that local citizens announced the formation of a political action committee that aims to raise at least $50,000 in support of the November bond issue.

"There's definitely momentum now," said Mark Robinson, spokesman for the political action committee, Mainers for a Strong Economy. "And any backpedaling at this point is not going to be a welcome development."

The city of Saco is also planning to hold Nov. 8 bond referendum, asking voters virtually the same question: whether to borrow up to $10 million to fund a buyout of MERC.

Mayor Mark Johnston opposes any delay on the opposite side of the Saco River.

"Right now, both communities are talking about doing this together," Johnston said. "When you lose your cousin, it doesn't make sense. It makes sense to move forward and let the chips fall where they fall."

There is a second reason to push forward this year, he said. The total cost of a buyout will increase by $1 million -- from $28 million to $29 million -- if the two cities don't act by January 2006, according to Johnston.

If Biddeford's City Council wants to cancel the November referendum, it must decide by Sept. 26, said City Clerk Clairma Matherne. The council meets Tuesday.

It was not immediately clear Monday how much support Nutting's idea would find on the nine-member council. One councilor, Phil Dumont, has sent the mayor an e-mail saying he opposes a delay.

But Nutting's opinion may hold sway because he has been involved in confidential negotiations with Maine Energy's owner, Casella Waste Systems.

The negotiations deal with a range of issues, including the possible settlement of lawsuits, that go well beyond a potential buyout.

Brian Oliver, regional vice president for Casella, declined to comment on the mayor's statements, saying the company is scheduled to meet with Biddeford officials Monday.

Any deal to close the Maine Energy plant would likely need support from the federal and state governments. It's widely thought that Biddeford and Saco have little chance to secure state or federal dollars without first getting approval for the local borrowing measures.

Even if the necessary $28 million is found for a buyout, the incinerator would not close for about 10 years.

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Source: Portland Press Herald

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