SMITHFIELD — Voters at Saturday’s annual town meeting approved spending $90,000 for costs to drop off trash at the Norridgewock landfill and approved all items related to a proposed new town office/fire station.

Sixty-six people turned out for the evening meeting which lasted just under two hours, according to Town Clerk Linda French.

“I think it was a very good meeting last night,” French said Sunday. “We had a lot of positive comments and questions — and no arguments.”

While voters approved raising and appropriating the $90,000 for waste disposal, they discussed possible changes to the way trash is taken and disposed of at the Waste Management Disposal Services of Maine in Norridgewock to better track amounts and costs, according to French.

First Selectman Gary Witham said recently that costs for residents to dump trash at the back gate of the landfill have increased significantly. In 2007, the town budgeted $69,000 for waste disposal and ended up spending $84,540, he said.
That was a jump from the $53,000 the town spent in 2002.

French said that voters Saturday agreed with selectmen that alternatives must be researched.

“This has just gone up horrendously,” she said. It’s just huge.”

Voters approved borrowing up to $200,000 for construction at the elementary school so that it can be turned into the town office and fire station once the school is vacated. School Administrative District 54 is building a new school in Norridgewock and it is scheduled to house Smithfield, Mercer and Norridgewock children in kindergarten through grade six starting in the fall.

Voters approved selling the current town office/fire station once the school is vacant and placing proceeds from the sale into a fund reserve for replacing the roof at the new town office/fire station. Voters also agreed to raise and appropriate $50,000 for the New Construction Building fund.

In elections, all candidates ran unopposed.

Amy Calder — 861-9247
acalder@centralmaine.com

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