By Judith Dionne
Staff Writer

Voters will be asked to approve a bond for a $3 million transfer station, along with 38 other warrant articles, at the Candia Town Meeting on Saturday, March 19.

Will it save money or not?
This transfer station will solve Candia’s solid waste problem for the next 20 years, said Selectman Gary York.

The proposal includes building and equipping the station, to be paid for by a trash hauling company which will contract with the town for 20 years.

The contract will ensure the hauling company pays the bond for the town as well as a fee to use the station.

With the transfer station in place, York said Candia will no longer need the existing transfer station or dump, eliminating those costs.

In response to the proposed transfer station, a group of Candia residents have banded together to form the Candia Cares – Concerned Citizens of Candia group.

The group has mailed two pamphlets to residents explaining why they should not support the transfer station. It has also asked voters not to support Warrant Article 14, for $93,500 to acquire land on the corner of Brown and Auburn roads the town will need to build the transfer station.

To persuade people to vote against the proposal, the pamphlet disputes the savings the town would realize from the proposed plan and offers other alternatives.

“The town said eliminating the solid waste operating budget would save us money,” said Brian Fortin, a resident and member of the Candia Cares group. “It won’t be as much as they’re claiming.”

Fortin said the overall savings realized by the town with the elimination of the solid waste budget would be $242 per year, or 66 cents per day, per household.

“Also, the $3 million the town is asking for may not include a recycling program with the new facility,” said Fortin. “How much more will that cost?”

York said the elimination of the 2004-05 proposed $411,000 solid waste operating budget would obviously save the town money.

“By eliminating the (solid waste) budget item, the tax rate would drop from $2.85 per $1,000 to $1.75 per $1,000,” said York. “That’s a considerable savings.”

Alternatives
Candia Cares also outlined alternatives to the transfer station proposal in its pamphlet.

Andy Perry of Candia Cares said the “Trash Talk” pamphlets the selectmen’s office mailed to residents make it seem as if the town has no other option than to support the transfer station.

“Our group has researched and given residents solid alternatives to the transfer station,” he said.

He even talked to an agency about getting a quote for a Candia-only transfer station.

Leavitt & Boucher Equipment LLC gave Perry a proposal costing $89,780 for the town to turn its existing transfer station/ dump into a transfer station that would compact the town’s trash, rather than burning it, eliminating the need for an incinerator.

The compacted trash would then be placed into dumpsters and hauled out of town. The group did determine what the cost would be to haul trash out of Candia, or run and maintain such a facility.

“The quote they gave us includes all materials including compacting equipment, dumpsters and a concrete pad,” said Perry. “He (Bob Boucher from Leavitt & Boucher)) said they could have this complete in eight weeks. I’d say three months; but I think this is a great alternative.”

He said they would model their facility after one that is in operation in Chester right now.

“(Chester ) is very clean and cost-efficient,” said Perry. “They budgeted for $161,000 to run it this year and came in under budget.”

York said he and the solid waste committee have also looked into the Chester facility and he doesn’t know how they operate on such a small budget.

“I know not all towns budget like Candia does,” he said. “It may be that they have some expenses, such as salary or insurance, under a different line item (in the budget) so it doesn’t fall under their solid waste budget. It’s really hard to compare Candia to them (Chester) because of this.”

Is land available?
Putting a transfer station on the corner of Brown and Auburn roads could prove difficult. Perry said he knows first-hand that the landowners do not wish to sell to the town.

“The land is actually in a revocable trust to which Wendy (Nordstrom) is the beneficiary,” said Perry. “I spoke with the executor of that trust and he has no interest in selling to the town.”

Perry added the owners have expressed interest in building on the land themselves.

York said he spoke to an individual associated with the trust and knew he wasn’t interested in selling. York agreed with Perry, saying he knew the individual wanted to build on the land.

“The land is not buildable and (the land trust) bought the land knowing it was deeded unbuildable,” said York. “I don’ t know why they’d want to keep it because of this.”