March 29, 2024
BANGOR DAILY NEWS (BANGOR, MAINE

Recycling co-op scrambling to keep members

HANCOCK — With five towns now threatening to pull out of Coastal Recycling, the nonprofit cooperative is seeking proposals on how the facility could be operated by a private company.

Bob Hedger, a member of Coastal’s board of directors who represents the town of Gouldsboro, said Friday the organization will need to move quickly on restructuring to avoid losing half its membership by July.

“If Coastal loses one town, it would not be a catastrophe,” Hedger said. “But if it loses five towns, it’s a catastrophe.”

Hedger said the board will be considering “every avenue we have” in its efforts to remain a viable and regional organization.

The towns of Cherryfield, Lamoine, Harrington and Milbridge indicated recently they intend to withdraw by the July 15 deadline. The town of Gouldsboro this week signaled its plan to do the same, pending voter approval at its June town meeting.

Those five towns represent about 75 percent to 80 percent of the recyclables the cooperative handles, Hedger said. The multitown organization — founded in 1991 by a grass-roots initiative and state grants — likely could not stay afloat if they all leave.

At a meeting earlier this month, the co-op directors appointed a committee to look into privatizing, a move officials from some towns say they would welcome.

Hedger said Coastal recently put out bids for proposals. If interesting proposals are received, the organization could then solicit bids from private companies actually interested in running the facility.

Dissatisfaction with the management of Coastal has surfaced in several towns over the past few months. Additionally, the towns which have indicated they may withdraw by July say they would spend less money on recycling if they contract with a private company. Some of the five towns have already solicited bids from private contractors. Lamoine may award a contract next week.

Hedger, who was once chairman of the Coastal board, said at a meeting in Milbridge last month that the entire organization needs restructuring. Even though he is critical of its present operation, Hedger said he hopes the organization will survive this crisis.

“Coastal is at a point right now where it’s doing the right thing environmentally, but it also needs to do the right thing as a business.

“Coastal has got to have its bell rung, has got to look at itself,” Hedger said.

He said the five towns threatening to leave might be convinced otherwise if the organization “turns itself around.”

Milbridge Town Manager Linda Pagels said in a recent interview her community hopes Coastal can restructure before the July deadline.

However, she said, there is still some disagreement about whether the towns can retract their intention to withdraw before July if important changes are made by then in the organization.

Hedger said he and others hope the regional approach to recycling can survive. “If Coastal goes down … the towns won’t ever band together to do something again, and that would be a real shame.”

The next meeting of the Coastal board is 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 15, at the Sullivan Town Office.


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