FRENCHVILLE, Maine – The board that oversees recycling in four towns in the St. John Valley unanimously approved the purchase of a $28,000 truck on Thursday, replacing an aging vehicle that officials say is unlikely to pass inspection.
Valley Recycling Facility covers Madawaska, Fort Kent, Frenchville, and St. Agatha. It is located in Frenchville, and the purchase was approved during an emergency meeting at the Frenchville Town Office. The board consists of officials from the member communities.
Facility Supervisor Raymond Demoranville said prior to the meeting that they were using a 2001 Freightliner. The facility only utilizes one recycling truck, which is used to pick up recyclables at homes throughout the four member communities. Without it, recycling would become much more difficult.
The facility, which has five employees including Demoranville, also has a front end loader and a jockey truck used to move containers. Member communities fund the recycling facility through their annual taxes.
“It’s just old,” Demoranville said of the vehicle. “They said that the chances of it passing inspection again this year would not be good, so we’re just replacing it.”
Frenchville Town Manager David Cyr said the Valley Recycling Facility board has been talking about buying a new recycling vehicle since earlier this year. But the board had not yet made any motions to authorize the purchase.
“The purpose of this meeting is to authorize the purchase of the replacement recycling truck,” Cyr said.
The new vehicle is a 26-foot medium-duty 2020 International truck. Demonanville said it will cost roughly $28,000.
The board voted to spend $10,000 out of the regular operating budget, which was set aside to help with the purchase of a new vehicle, and to use the equipment reserve account to cover any additional costs – up to a total of $40,000.
These additional costs would include transferring the current vehicle’s recycling box onto the new one, which includes shortening the wheelbase, and transporting the vehicle from South Portland.
